Road To A Better Life
by WolfCross
Summary: Jaune Arc has been expelled from Beacon and is cast adrift in the city of Vale. Soon, a group of rogue hunters known as the "The Forgotten" take him in, led by the young, and rough-and-tumble hunter known as Michael Grey, who introduces him to the life of a rogue. Though after a few students are found missing, and a new enemy, Jaune must fight to save his friends and family.
1. Chapter 1: End of the Line

Jaune grit his teeth, burying himself deeper into the rough wooden chair, practically staring holes into the floor. Saying that he was scared was the understatement of the century. His fingers drummed against the knuckles of his other hands, shaking as if stuck in a perpetual earthquake. Anxiety and stress swirled around him in a horrific storm, spiraling and never-ceasing. Jaune recalled similar feelings when dealing with hordes of Grimm, when he fought desperately for his life, though this situation was different. Instead of a raging battlefield where his own sword, shield and teammates kept him safe, he was sitting outside over a large door, awaiting his conference with his own Principle, Ozpin.

To think it had been only a few months ago that he had revealed himself to Pyrrha, and unintentionally, Cardin. He remembered the hell he had gone through with the boy to keep his secret safe from the administrators. Though after a particular act of rebellion involving Cardin, Velvet, and an abnormally thick frying pan, Cardin had let slip of how he faked his way into his school on every social media site known to the school. Obviously, it was found by the higher ups almost an hour later, and called over from his class from an abnormally scary-looking dragon of a woman, Goodwitch. He tried to ignore the sneers of that bastard Cardin, or the concerned looks of Pyrrha, though he could already feel the rapid torrent of emotions swarming in. Guilt. Fear. Helplessness. Sadness. Regret.

Rage.

He couldn't stop his quivering jaw. He already knew what was coming. He had expected it of course. This was it, wasn't it. The end of the line for him. They knew now that he had never attended combat school. While it should have been obvious from the start as the mediocrity of his skills showed earlier, he had managed to barely scrape through by proving himself to the brutal lessons from Pyrrha, he had managed to improve tremendously, being able to defeat some of the more minor students and even Cardin a few times in combat. He had even got his entire team approved for better missions.

That didn't matter now. It was over for him. He was going to be expelled, cast out of the school alone. His family would never accept him back. No school would take him after what he did. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he wasn't going to be arrested for pulling a stunt like this. He knew that option was far from off the table. He wouldn't be surprised if a cop was standing on the other end of that door right now, ready to cuff him, and take him away to the end of his life.

His thoughts drifted to his team that he had grown to care so much for over the many months that he had stayed here. Ren had been not only his first guy friend in this school, he was his first guy friend ever, the first person he could truly call a brother. Nora was the light of the team, always shining his world when things were down. Pyrrha was the greatest friend he could hope for, teaching him, accepting him. He could never think of life without her. He was about to let them down. Them, who accepted him as a leader, ignoring who he was, and how his skills were subpar. They loved him and he loved them, even in this short time.

Oh how he let them down...

A sharp gasp shot out of his mouth as the door creaked open. His entire body seized up in his chair, his back hunching up slightly, unable to take a breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted 's boots marching to his side.

"Headmaster Ozpin will see you now." She snarled.

Jaune gulped and slowly rose out of his seat. He couldn't bring himself to raise his head and face her. "Y-yes ma'am." He stuttered. He didn't even need to look up at her to know that she had pure utter anger and contempt in her eyes. He just couldn't bare to look at it.

 _Wow, Arc, some man you are…_

Not taking his eyes off the ground, he trudged over into the office, the door slamming shut behind him. The loud crack of the door that echoed through the room made his heart skip a beat, as if he had just closed the door on his own life. He still couldn't raise his head, his shame to great to look the older man no doubt sitting in front of him. The strong scent of coffee entered his nose.

"Good evening mister Arc. Please sit down." Ozpin said, his calm tone breaking the silence.

Jaune raised his head every so slightly to see another chair in front of the headmaster's desk. Slowly lowering himself into the chair, he finally braved a glance at Ozpin. He didn't see anger, or contempt in his eyes. Instead he found something much more hurtful.

Disappointment.

Pure honest disappointment.

The moment he looked into the man's eyes. He lowered them again, already feeling the guilt crushing him. Pushing himself deeper into his chair, he laced his fingers together.

"Now I don't need to ask you if you know why you're." Ozpin said. Jaune shook his head slowly. "And you are well aware of the consequences of such actions." Jaune sat there, silent. Ozpin adjusted his glasses, not taking his eyes off the young man.

"Yes, sir." Jaune said sullenly.

"This act could go much farther than this school. Are you aware of how illegal you're actions were?" Ozpin said, his voice still oddly cordial.

"I… I knew sir."

"Then why would you do this? You knew very well you couldn't get away with this, so why do this?"

Jaune could not bring himself to speak. His honest answer would always have been that he wanted to be a hunter, who protected the weak and was loved as a hero, though the situation didn't match his intentions. The standard answer would be that he wanted to live up to his family name, but how was he supposed to do that when the Arc's stood for honesty and courage, to which he had neither of. What on Remnant was he supposed to say?

"Are you going to answer?" Ozpin asked, tapping the desk. More silence. Ozpin closed his eyes, no doubt in thought. "Very well. I assume you know the punishment?"

 _Prison time or expulsion. Pick your poison Jaune, cause there's no going back now._

"I do sir." Jaune mumbled, his head somehow slinking lower.

This was far from the first expulsion that he had to give out. Not by a long shot. In fact, in his first few years he had seen every single trick in the book. From begging to attempted seduction to even threatening by financial or physical means. Obviously, none of them worked. He was far too experienced for that to ever work. The smarter ones would often would play to his sentimental side through begging, groveling, crying, and pleading for mercy, though of course, they were all futile. All it did was prove to him that they weren't meant to be hunters to begin with if they didn't have the courage to face the danger. When he witnessed Jaune enter his office, he was curious on what he had to add to the table.

Ozpin waited for excuses, for cries of mercy, for groveling and pity parties, but to his surprise, none came. The boy remained silent, head bowed in shame.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" He asked, sipping his coffee.

A thousand words crossed through Jaune. Plea's, hopes, bargains, anything that could get him out of this predicament. On his way to the main office, story after story had already piled into his mind. All he had to do was to speak of one, and he may be home free.

But…

He couldn't bring himself to speak. A part of him knew why, but the other part constantly nagged him to further spread the web of lies that he had entangled himself in, just for the hope of getting off with a slap on the wrist. The other part only repeated the same argument. _You arrived a liar. At least try and leave as an Arc._

"No?" Ozpin asked. Jaune shook his head. Curious indeed. He stood, towering over the boy. "Well, under normal circumstances, I would have had you arrested and carted out of my school, or at the very least, shamefully expelled." The headmaster's eyes darkened over the boy. Jaune dared another glance, though to his surprise, there was no disappointment there. On the contrary, the one thing that shone his eyes was pity and a little sadness. "Luckily for you, I have decided on the latter rather than the former."

Jaune felt his heart sink like a weight. He had just heard it. He was gone. Out. Never to return. His future was going to be in complete shambles. It took all the willpower in his body to keep the tears from creeping. He could feel his body lurch, feeling extremely nauseous. Somehow he found the strength to stiffen his body, his hands pressed against his knees, sitting up straight and attentive. Ozpin sighed, and sat back down, his fingers drumming against his desk. Disappointment returned to his gaze, yet it didn't seem directed completely at him.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this. You've held so much potential, no, you still do. I've seen you evolve into such a great young hunter. You are truly a talented and kind young man, and it has been a pleasure getting to know you. I wish you well."

Ozpin stood up, and offered walked up to Jaune, hand raised for him to shake. Jaune couldn't move, his head hanging low once more. Ozpin stood for a few moments before retracting his hand.

"Is that all sir?" Jaune asked, his voice strangely deep and strangled.

"Yes, Mr. Arc. You are to leave the campus grounds by morning. The Bullhead will be at the port, ready to pick you up and take you to Vale." Ozpin said, sitting back down. "Do you have family waiting for you there? Anyone waiting for you at least?"

After a moment, Jaune answered. "Yeah sure, I can text mom on my way home."

A lie of course. His family would never take him back. He just couldn't bring himself to say that. He had no money, no survival experience, no chance of getting a job. His jaw quivered at the prospect of the harsh ,compromising future that lie ahead of him. But this was the grave that he dug, so now it was time to lay in it.

He had to admit it. Going into this, he was completely in over his head, thinking everything would just go great as soon as he entered this school. He had no idea what he was in for and barely thought of the consequences that would follow, but he didn't care. Jaune Arc, the wimp, the slacker, the loser was going to be a successful hunter, a shell of his former self. That prospect seemed so far away now, almost gone over the horizon.

"Thank you sir." Jaune said sullenly.

With that, he marched out of the office, walking past Professor Goodwitch's stalwart glare, and into the hall. The hall felt so empty despite it being full of students just getting to their dorms, another day of classes over. He made it to his dorm seemingly faster than usual. None of his teammates were back yet.

Good.

Letting his body flop down onto his bed, he stared at Crocea Mors, and his shield. Which lay against the wall, stupidly begging it to save him somehow.

* * *

Ozpin picked his scroll up, and dialed his desired number quickly. He hoped that the boy would answer this time. Maybe this time he would help him. After many moments, a gruff voice sounded on the other end.

"Michael here, what'll it be?"

"I'm sure you already know who I am. But that doesn't matter now. I have a job for you…"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Review for more, and I'll see you next time!**


	2. Chapter 2: Salt in the Wound

_**A/N: UPDATE!**_

 ** _Sorry about the many mistakes in naming. Trust me, it wasn't my fault. For some reason, when I posted this damn thing, it decided to wipe out the last name of every single person. That includes Blake, Ruby, Yang, ect..._**

 ** _To everyone, I apologize, and I'll make sure to look over my chapters before AND after there posted._**

 ** _Thanks!_**

* * *

Jaune hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep. The nerves and stress had probably exhausted him. Nevertheless, a good tug on his shoulder awakened him from his slumber. He looked up slowly, eyes still stinging from the regret and guilt, expecting to see Ms. Goodwitch there, glaring down at him, demanding why he hadn't left the school yet. Though to his deepening sadness, it ended up being his partner, who was smiling down at him. Such beautiful eyes. Such a nice smile. How cruel that she wasted them on a lying, overconfident fool like him.

"Hey Jaune, where were you?" She asked in her usual mothering concerned voice. "I haven't seen you since you were taken out of class this morning. You even missed out on dinner. Did you get in trouble for something?" Jaune blinked stupidly. Did he really sleep past dinner? He looked up at the window, seeing only the night sky littered with gleaming stars. He groaned, burying his head deeper into his pillow.

"I bet he got put on a secret mission from Ozpin!" Nora chirped excitedly, just outside his vision. He could hear the young girl bouncing up and down on her bed, each spring screaming under the pressure of the small, hyperactive girl.

"I doubt that, yet it is strange." Ren's mellow voice slipped in. " seemed very angry with you, much more so than usual. Care to explain?"

Jaune gulped.

And so it had come to this.

Jaune was left once again speechless in the wake of his own team. How was he going to break it to them that he had been expelled, leaving their team without a leader. How would he tell them that he forged his way into the school, and show them how much of a coward he was. They would be so crushed. So ashamed of him.

So disappointed that they ever respected him.

His thoughts drifted over to some of the others he had grown to know. Who would stick up for Velvet while he was gone? He was the last thing standing between her and that stain on humanity Cardin. And Yang. She had grown to respect him, both as a warrior and as a friend. Weiss had just begun to tolerate him, and Blake had a mutual understanding with him, silent, yet friendly.

And Ruby…

Jaune's heart sunk like a weight. She was his first real friend; the first ever connection he made in this school. She was someone who relied on him, brought him back up when he was down, and showed him the true potential of what he could become. Her smile, her cuteness, her bubbly attitude, her enthusiasm, her friendship, it all kept him going, even on the toughest days, fighting so he could keep up with her.

Now all that was gonna come crashing down.

"Jaune, are you alright?" Pyrrha asked, pushing him ever so slightly. "C'mon now, it must not have been that bad." Jaune still remained silent, sure she would get it eventually. Unfortunately, she did. "They didn't… they didn't find out did they?" Slowly, but surely, Jaune nodded his head. She went deathly silent. Daring his nerves, he shifted to look at her, wilting under her expression. The strong Spartan of a woman was nearly in tears, her hand cupped over her mouth, tears bordering her eyes. She shivered on his bed, her ivory skin turning pale.

"Jaune, it wasn't me, I swear it. I would never do something like that." She said desperately.

"Easy Pyr, I know it wasn't you. Cardin did this. He was the only one other than you who knew. Posted it everywhere, you see. Surprised you guys didn't spot it." Jaune said, trying to sound casual, though his voice strained from the effort.

"Wait, doesn't that mean you-" She trailed off. Jaune went still, his insides colder than ice, then nodded slowly. Pyrrha let out a choked sob. Ren rushed to her side, placing a hand atop her shoulder, his stoic magenta eyes narrowing upon Jaune.

"Explain Jaune." He said flatly.

Jaune went silent once again. Pyrrha wiped away stray tears that passed her notice, and turned to her team, knowing Jaune could never say it to them. "Jaune has been… expelled" The room went deathly quiet. Even Nora had stopped bouncing on her bed, her face frozen and pale. Ren looked indifferent at first, but Jaune could see the storm in the boys eyes.

"What? You're joking right? That can't be right." Nora prattled, a hopeful smile on her face. "There's gotta be some kind of mistake. I mean, Jaune's our fearless leader, there's no way they would expel him. Quit joking around like that, it's not funny!" As usual, Nora couldn't stop the rapid stream of words from cascading from her mouth. Pyrrha let out another sob and turned away, unable to look him. Ren's eyes bored into Jaune's, silently expecting an explanation.

"Nora, stop." Jaune said firmly. Instantly the words ceased. He sighed before continuing. "Yes, it's true. I've got until tomorrow morning to leave, or I'll be kicked out by force." You could hear a pin drop in the room. Jaune swallowed the remainder of his pride and nearly choked on it. "You see, I didn't' make it into this place based on talent, or my grades. I lied, cheated and forged my way in. I found a guy in Vale who was willing to forge a transcript for me for some cash. It was enough to get me in here, so…" He trailed off, once again drifting into silence.

Ren's eyes darkened then softened once again in one fell swoop. Ren didn't even need to speak. His eyes did the talking. He saw the same kind of disappointment that he saw in Ozpin's eyes. Disappointed that he lied to them, that he cheated his way in, that he couldn't lead them now, and would be leaving them behind with one man down. Still, there was an odd amount of brotherly understanding in his eyes. He knew how much Jaune wanted to be a hero.

Desperately.

So much so he was willing to risk going to prison.

Jaune had just somehow barely scraped past that bullet, yet he still had the other to worry about, and there was no way to dodge this one. Ren stared down at him, though Jaune couldn't return his gaze. He could still feel those eyes upon him.

Disappointment.

Finally the silence was broken. Oddly enough, it was broken by Ren once again."Let's move." He said rather quietly, even for him. "Jaune may need a moment to pack. And maybe think some things over." And with that, he marched out of the room, with Nora, still oddly quiet, following suit. Just like that, in a matter of seconds, he had lost the only brother he had ever known.

A hole had been punched through his heart, leaving him half empty. Only Jaune and Pyrrha remained in the room, though that would soon change. Pyrrha looked at him, her eyes red and puffy. No doubt she was going to break down again, but he didn't want to see that.

His heart just couldn't take it.

"Well they took that pretty well." Jaune said, laughing coldly to himself.

"Jaune… I-"

"Go." He said. "Like he said, leave your 'fearless leader' to pack." She went silent once again. That deathly cold stillness once again shrouded over the room. Finally, Pyrrha slowly rose to her feat, and walked out the room, her head down. The door slammed behind her and Jaune could have sworn he heard another sob as she ran off.

Jaune canine tooth met his lip. While he had expected similar reactions from Ren, and even Nora, Pyrrha had seemed to come right out of left field. He knew that Ren respected him for his morals, his quirks, and his leadership. Two of those flew right the window not even a few seconds ago. Nora liked him because he was nice, kind and honest. Once again, same deal. No doubt they felt like he betrayed them, and in a way, he did. Pyrrha shouldn't have been that broken up about it. She knew deep down this would be coming. He knew she did. She wasn't a considered the genius of our age for nothing.

The genius and the fool.

Oh the irony.

Jaune smirked bitterly to himself.

With a little more effort than necessary, he pushed himself up, and proceeded to shove everything he could in a single rucksack, rushing to get the job done fast. Pyrrha, Ren and Nora wouldn't be back anytime soon. He was counting on that. He wanted to be done and asleep before they had the chance to return. It didn't take very long to pack and shove his stuffed to the brim rucksack at the foot of his bed. Crocea Mors lay against it, tilting away from him as if it too was ashamed by its master. He flopped onto his bed, and forced the covers over him, covering him from head to toe. He slammed his eyelids down, and silently prayed for a dreamless sleep.

Eventually, he did end up drifting to sleep, albeit for only a few hours. The Airship was supposed to pick him up at eight, though he woke up at five. While he didn't like waking up early, he certainly didn't complain now.

Everyone was sleeping away, the room dark and quiet. As silently as he could, he rose up, slid out of his bed, and made it hastily. He stripped his uniform off, and left it neatly folded on top of the sheets, placing his casual wear on instead. He had to make this quick. There would be no point in even trying to say goodbye. Everyone knew what he was now. He wanted his last memory of his friends to be something pleasant. Smiles instead of glares. Jokes and laughs instead of deafening silence. He at least wanted something to carry out that wouldn't tear him apart.

Jaune rushed over to the door, taking careful pacing in his steps, making sure not to bump into anything or make a sound. He hoisted his rucksack onto his shoulder, clipped his chestpiece on, and opened the door, taking one last sparing glance at his old room, his old teammates, relishing in the sight. This may be the last time he'd see them again. He gulped, forcing back his tears, and slowly back out, inching the door across behind him.

"Goodbye…" He whispered.

The door closed with a resounding click that sounded much louder than it was supposed to be. His tooth met his lip, almost puncturing it. Was this really the right thing? Leaving without saying goodbye wouldn't do much in the term of a lasting memory, though what else was he supposed to do? He didn't want to wait. It would just tear him asunder. An oddity was that he didn't even want them to feel sorry for him.

He didn't deserve it.

Memories and nostalgia filled him as he wondered down the quiet hall, not a single student in sight. They were all probably in bed like a sensible person would be. Before Jaune knew it, he had walked out of Beacon and arrived at the Airstrip, where surprisingly Ozpin was waiting for him, his face solemn.

"I trust you've said your goodbyes?" Ozpin asked.

"For the most part." Jaune replied, setting his pack down and sitting on it. "I can tell I'll be missed. They made that pretty damn clear." He said, chuckling bitterly.

Ozpin sipped his coffee from the mug in his hand. Jaune had to admit, he had never seen the man without a mug of coffee in his hand. The man had to be jacked up with the stuff at all times. Maybe that's why he was so eccentric. He was surprised he couldn't catch that earlier. Silly move on his part.

"Have you talked to your other friends?" Ozpin asked. The slight ire in his tone struck something in Jaune.

"Nope. Have you?" Jaune challenged, feeling nothing else to lose.

"Indeed I have. I asked them if they all wanted to see you off or not. Last night as a matter of fact." Ozpin said, taking another sip.

"And they said?" Jaune asked impatiently.

Ozpin didn't answer at first. He only gazed deep into his eyes as if examining his soul. "Are you sure you want the full truth?"

Jaune bit his lip hard, knowing what was coming if he accepted. He had to know though. This could be the only opportunity to find out.

"Yes sir."

Ozpin cleared his throat, no doubt mentally preparing himself for the verbal thrashing he would be getting. "I spoke with Team RWBY yesterday, as you figured, and asked simply if they wanted to see you off. I started off with Ms. Xaio-Long, and the response I received was rather… colorful. It appears that Ms. Rose has been quite upset over the ordeal. She asked me personally not to see her at that moment."

Jaune felt a spike pierce his heart. He hurt Ruby. He hurt _Ruby._ His first ever real much as he figured he had before, hearing it felt worse. He was glad he didn't call in the other girls for goodbyes. The outcomes wouldn't have been good to say the least. At the very least, he'd have his heart shattered by seeing Ruby upset. The other outcome was how shattered his skull would be by her overprotective sister would have been for hurting her in the first place. Ozpin must have noticed the intense guilt, and stopped to let the details sink in.

After a good minute, he gathered himself once again and asked Ozpin to resume. "Ms. Belladona had been rather indifferent. I don't even think she looked at me whilst I was talking. Ms. Schnee was… testing to say the least. I don't think I heard such a lashing of the tongue since a student was caught by Ms. Goodwitch for blowing up the kitchen several years ago. She seemed to focus more on your forgery than anything else. I must say, she was rather offended. I had also caught your teammates as they left their dorm last night. Your other teammates seemed rather apathetic to your passing, with the exception of Ms. Nikos. She seemed very upset of this ordeal."

 _Yes! Keep stomping on my heart! I love it! I fucking love it!_

"I did ask them if they wanted to see you off. Mr. Lie said he would have loved to, but he had to stop his partner from destroying the airship to stop you from leaving. Ms. Nikos will still be coming if you're willing to wait."

Finally, rose to his feet. Stiff as a board, not even trying to soften the roughness of his voice, Jaune spoke. "Alright then. Is that it?" _Are you done rubbing salt into my wounds?_ Then again, he did ask for this.

"Indeed. The Airship should be here to pick you shortly." In Ozpin's eyes was something strange. The sadness of an old man. Maybe it was because Jaune blatantly refused to be seen off. Maybe it was because he was leaving in the first place. Though soon, his eyes shone with an odd curiosity. "Though I must say, you do quite a good pack-up for such a short time span. Good job." Ozpin said, holding something in his hands.

Jaune's eyes widened. It was his rucksack!

His eyes fired behind him to see nothing but empty concrete. Nothing detailing that at one time, his large and unkempt rucksack had once sat there waiting patiently for its master. He gazed back to Ozpin, shock etched into his face. "How did you… when did you… Why?" He sputtered.

"Quite easy." Ozpin replied loftily. "You were so distracted by your own self pity, you let your guard down about your surroundings. You forgot the basics already. Did you learn nothing at my school?" The old hunter offered the rucksack back and Jaune snatched it back. Anger had warped its way around his mind. Why on earth did he even take his rucksack to begin with? To teach him once last stupid lesson? To further kick him into the dirt? Why, you demented old geezer, why?

In his anger, he barely processed the low hum of the Airship or the sharp crack of metal landing on solid ground. The gate opened, welcoming him his fate, and most likely, the loss of whatever he ate prior.

Curse his airsickness.

"Goodbye Jaune. May we meet again soon." Ozpin said, waving his hand as Jaune boarded. Jaune didn't turn or speak. Every part of him was screaming to just turn around and flip him off, though his senses returned. Momentary anger wasn't enough for him to ruin a perfectly good goodbye. He turned, his face lame and chalk-white. He nodded stiffly and gave a quick wave to the man before the gate closed behind him. The last thing he saw was the large school, imagining his friends succeeding, becoming some of the greatest hunters of the age.

Of the world.

Silence.

He couldn't bring himself to sit down. All he did was stare at the floor. Had the Airship taken off yet? He wouldn't know. A soft drip broke him out of his own stupor. A familiar stinging of his eyes brought him further back into reality. His body shook like a leaf. His eyes darted from place to place, making complete sure he was alone. He didn't want to further add to his own shame.

Without hesitation or reserve, he broke down, sobbing on his knees like a child. He didn't care anymore. It was over. He couldn't even complain because had just barely scraped past prison time. Still, it hurt too much knowing what lied in store for him. Of the people he hurt. His own team.

Of Ruby.

Everything swirled around him and slowly tore him apart. Maybe he could come up with a plan. Maybe he could still fight back and win back his life without turning to poverty and crime. Maybe, just maybe, he could make it out alive. But that didn't matter at this moment. He wanted to wallow in his own pity, and make sure it was all gone and out of his system before he could even start planning.

And so, he let his pain go to prepare for the devastating future that followed.

* * *

 _ **And there we have it...**_

 _ **GOD that was depressing! I'm not used to writing something like that without something upbeat in it. Don't worry to much about Jaune though. He will rise through the ashes, and fight once again. He just has to make it through Vale! Till then, Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Will I rise?

The moment the Airship left the ground, Jaune knew he was doomed. Solids and liquids mixed in a horrifying mess, and began its steady rise up his burning throat. He rushed out of his seat, found a trashcan, pulled his blonde locks back, and said goodbye to his breakfast. He groaned bitterly. It didn't taste half as good coming out as it did going in. After taking a few steady breaths, he trudged his way back to the empty row of seats and lied on his back, moaning and rubbing his empty stomach.

The nausea of the day refused to leave him. It had been a few hours since takeoff and the tears were long gone. The harsh brutal reality had already begun to sow itself into his brain. He was gone. He was alone. No team to count on, no place to turn back to. He had realized that long ago, though now it had fully sunken in. He swallowed any remaining disgusting sludge in his mouth, and let his head flop to the side, gazing at Crocea Mors, realizing something important. That glowing white sword made of sharpened, tempered, unbreakable Grimm bone and the large yellow shield bearing his family crest was the last thing he had left.

Ruefully, he imagined his great granddad using that sword vanquish any enemy that stood before him. Grimm, soldier, terrorist, anything. This sword was the guiding light of his family. It was what made them heroes. And he had stolen it for what? A dream? A faraway dream? Guilt crushed him once again, making him sigh deeply.

Trying his best to think wisely, Jaune began weighing his options. As much as he wanted to continue fighting, joining the Atlas military force with his expulsion record hanging over his head like a load of dead weight would be a waste of time. He could try and get a job, though again with his records, and his own lack of experience in the work force, getting a job in the city was going to be next to impossible. Going home wasn't much of an option. The falling out he had with them beforehand guaranteed that. He had thirty-seven lien on him, a sleeping bag, two sets of clothes, his toothbrush, a small box of crackers, and the clothes on his back.

All in all, he's had better situations.

The TV that hung just over the seats blared on, the news channel droning on and on about things that Jaune couldn't care less about. He only managed to grab scraps of the newsman's words, though it was rather fragmented. The background noise was starting to bug him, though he wasn't going to even bother getting up and turning it off. He didn't want to risk tossing another cookie into the trash can.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he gave his rucksack a feeble kick off of the chair. With a hushed clatter, his luck deemed it so all of its contents fell to the ground in a massive heap. To his surprise, there was an odd clunk, a sound that shouldn't have been made with any of the supplies that he took with him. Carefully as not to further upset his stomach, he turned his large body over, and peaked over the side of the group of chairs. Among the mess, nothing seemed immediately out of the ordinary. Though, his eyes drifted to something odd that caught his eye. Haphazardly, he nudged his foot among the pile, pushing the clothes away until something odd revealed itself.

A book?

When the hell did he pack a book? He certainly didn't packing something so unnecessary. He was never a bookworm like Blake, only reading when he had to. The oddest thing was that the book had a symbol on the cover. Two bright yellow crescent moons arched sideways, one larger than the other.

 _The Arc family crest!_

An odd sense of wonder and excitement filled him. This was definitely something new. He never any kind of book like this at home. A book of the Arc family legacy, his own heritage, and all of their secrets all laid bare for him to see.

"Attention passengers." The loud intercom voice interjected, taking him out of his thoughts. "We will be arriving in Vale shortly. Please make sure to take all of your belongings with you" Jaune let out a surprised cry, stumbling stupidly off the row. He succeeded in pushing off too hard and landing flat on his face. Trying his best to ignore his further nausea, he hurriedly gathered all of his belongings into his rucksack, including the book, and yanked the string; tightening it and making sure it wouldn't open again.

The landing was always the worst part. Just the feeling of the metal crate slamming down onto the hard surface of the terminal made his stomach churn more so than usual. He shuddered just thinking about it. Quickly, he swung his rucksack underneath the chairs and spread himself along the long line of chairs, bracing for the worst. The bullhead slowed to a crawl until it landed onto the surface, forcing the ship to jump slightly, bounce, and then settle.

Stomach churning. Bile forming in his throat. Jaune gulped.

 _Yup, my stomach doesn't like that!_

For the fourth time this trip, he let loose whatever was left in his stomach into the nearest trash can. He would complain more, though he was starting to get used to it. At least it was finally over.

 _Vomit Boy, you've done it again._ He thought, a smile forming on his face. To think he was going to miss that old nickname…

"We have arrived in Vale. Please make sure to collect all belongings and make your way out in an orderly fashion." The intercom blared out once again. Jaune moaned pitifully in response. Damn his airsickness. The TV seemed to be much louder than before. Probably breaking news.

"This just in," The news anchorman started. "Another student has been taken by the infamous Sidewinder." Jaune's head jerked up, all previous nausea nearly forgotten, barely believing his ears. "This marks the third student taken by this infamous killer and rogue huntsman. The young man named Robin Drake was a second year at Beacon Academy of which he was taken from. From previous reports, it has been stated that he was last seen just outside of the Emerald Forest. He had informed his teachers that he would be taking the time there to train, and never returned. The mark of the Sidewinder on a tree, revealing what had happened to the poor young boy. Professionals are working around the clock to find this young man and the others who were taken by this madman. We advise a careful watch and to practice standard safety habits at all times. That is all."

Jaune stood frozen, unable to believe his ears. Students taken from Beacon? How come he had never heard of this before? The very thought of a student being kidnapped out of a place like Beacon had seemed like asinine. Suddenly, the thought of leaving felt much worse. What if his team was at risk? What about Ruby and her team? His tooth met his lip.

"Hey kid, you gonna get off anytime soon?" The gruff pilot asked.

"Um, yeah." Jaune said rather awkwardly, still staring at the TV. Only taking his eyes off of the screen for a few seconds at a time, he gathered his supplies rather clumsily, and ran off the bullhead, welcoming the open air and praising the solid ground under his feet. He would have kissed it if he weren't surrounded by people.

He exited the terminal quickly, and stopped in front of the large city stretched out before him.

Vale. This was where his new life would begin. He couldn't have started it on a worse foot either. The buildings stood over him, daunting and in a way, expecting. The people bustled by, chattering things that Jaune didn't bother catching. Idly, he revised his situation, staring across the buildings, people and many signs, his mind dwelling on one question.

 _Where on Remnant do I go first?_

After he exited the terminal, he couldn't' shake a certain feeling that had accumulated. A sort of buzzing or burning in the back of his skull that his hunting instincts begged him to obey. Jaune was being watched. He just knew it. He had considered that he was just being paranoid, though if he had learned anything from his friends and teachers, your instincts may be your greatest weapon. Trust them. His eyes scanned around the area to find no one.

No. There was one person there, though he had to squint just to see him. A lone, tall figure stood against the railing, wearing jeans and a rather dark hoodie of which the hood was raised, covering his face except for a few lengths of black hair that billowed out. Jaune stared at the figure for a moment, unsure how to react. Seconds turned into minutes with neither of them moving. Finally, Jaune, in cold sweat, spoke up.

"Um hi." He said nervously. The figure didn't respond. "C-can I help you?" He cursed himself for his stuttering, though the figure was rather scary in a sense.

Once again the figure didn't respond. Although, this time, he pushed himself off the railing and began a slow saunter towards the blonde. Jaune, quivering where he stood, eyes widened. The figure stopped almost a full meter away, looking at Jaune up and down.

"Yo, kid. You wouldn't happen to be Jaune Arc, would you?" The figure asked. Silence flowed. Jaune's heart stopped. Deep down, amidst the confusion and fear, he knew exactly what he had to do.

Jaune Arc ran for his life.

Before the figure could reach him, he sped off towards the large crowd at the base of the city. He pushed through the wading crowd, occasionally tripping over the feet of a few people and landing flat on his face. He wasn't sure how long he had been running thanks to the steady mix of adrenaline and aura, though by the time he stopped, he was all the way downtown, completely at a loss of where he was.

A wave of exhaustion washed over him. Sweat poured down his brow like a salty waterfall. Nearing the end of his stamina, he crept into a small alleyway, placed his back against the wall, and slowly slid down, sighing in relief.

Somehow, he had lost… whoever that was. Jaune could definitely tell it was a man. The voice was masculine, deep and gravelly with the smallest traces of an accent, though he couldn't tell from where.

How on Remnant did he know his name? While the Arc name alone was quite famous among veterans, he knew that he wasn't nearly famous enough to be recognized. Whoever that man was, it was best to avoid him.

Jaune took his scroll out to check the time, only for it not to turn on. He tried again, though the screen still remained a stagnant black. Frustrated, he began mashing the on switch, muttering "C'mon… c'mon… come on, you piece of junk!"

Still nothing. Then it dawned on him. This scroll belonged to Beacon. As he was expelled, they couldn't allow someone outside of school with that kind of access. Of course they would have shut it down. Now it was nothing more than a metallic slab, taking space in his pocket. Why hadn't he thought of that?

He groaned, completely frustrated with his situation. All this and he was still at a loss of where on earth to start!

Something fell to the road, clanking loudly, scaring the daylights of Jaune. He jolted up, with a sharp cry. Silence. Them a weary sigh. He was getting to jumpy. Though he froze once again when another sound made it itself heard. Laughter? Yeah, definitely laughter. But from who? And where?

"Who's there?" Jaune shouted, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword. The laugher died away slowly, though the sounds still echoed loudly in his head. "Whoever you are… I… I got a sword!" _Damn it, vomit boy, stuttering doesn't help make you sound tough! Man up! You can do this. You can handle any threat. Become vomit man! Not boy, man!_ As much as he tried to bolster his confidence, the shivering didn't help his situation.

Maybe he should get out of the downtown area. Crime was on the high note around this area, especially with the White Fang skulking around. The last thing he needed was to run into them. Slowly, he pulled himself out of the shadows of the alleyway, and into the static street. People were all inside the shops, the doors shut tight, leaving the road barren, littered with cars and cigarettes.

The quiet was an oddity in itself. Vale was usually a bustling city with people wondering the streets in tight nit groups, chattering their hearts. Stores would be open and beckoning him towards them with offers delicious smelling food and some of the highest class, state of the art weapons that he had ever seen.

Vale had never been so… empty before.

And yet here it was. The roaring wind and Jaune's light footsteps took up all the sound, except for the occasional scurry of a small animal across the street. There was something wrong here, he could just feel it. Maybe his time at Beacon was making him paranoid, though he couldn't shake that odd feeling of danger in the air. That same feeling when the Breach occurred. The silence was broken by a slight rumble behind him. A truck?

Against his braver judgment, he retreated back into the safety of the alleyway. Just as he figured, a rather large pickup truck pulled ahead of him and stopped with a loud screech just next to a store, and just a few feet away from the alleyway. To his shock, several men, armed to the teeth in body armor, helmets and rifles hopped out. Jaune was drenched in cold sweat. Did they see him before he rushed in? Were they coming after him?

To his relief, their attention wasn't on him. In fact, they seemed very interested in that store that they had just crossed. Immediately, they all began piling in through the single door, pushing and struggling past each other in an unorganized mass. The crackle of gunfire echoed through the barren street, followed by the gruff orders of one of the men.

"Attention everyone! The Sidewinder sends his regards. Everyone hand over any valuables you have right now, or who knows, you might just find yourself missing tomorrow." Obviously, a few panicked cries could be heard followed up with more gunfire.

Jaune sat there, frozen, mouth agape. What was he going to do? What was could he even do? He was a disgraced, expelled huntsman, barely strong enough to kill a single Grimm. How could he be expected to handle an entire ground of soldier-like thugs armed to the teeth? Maybe he should call his friends, or somebody to help. Instinctively, he reached for his scroll only to remember that it was next to useless at this point. Even if it wasn't, was he really expecting for his former team, or Team RWBY to make it here in an instant? Ozpin maybe could have. That man seemed to be capable of anything, but he seriously doubted that he would help Jaune in this situation.

Jaune sunk down, his head between his knees, his fingers running wildly through his blonde locks. A familiar frustration ran through him, A feeling of helplessness. A feeling of over-reliability. He needed someone to always get him out of trouble. Resolution after resolution, training bout after training bout, nothing seemed to change. He was at the bottom of the barrel, and it was far too late to claw himself back out again.

No. No more.

Jaune was done. Done with running. Done with hiding. Done with weakness. How could he expect to make his ancestors proud if he continued acting like this? Just imagine what everyone would be saying right now if they spotted him here, quivering in fear in the face of danger. While he may not be much, he was an Arc dammit! He promised he would be a hero, someone for people to look up to.

And an Arc never goes back on his word.

Taking several erratic deep breaths, he pushed himself up, extended his shield, and drew Crocea Mors from its sheath. His body shook and trembled. Sweat dripped down his pale skin in a mad torrent. He walked like he was in a perpetual earthquake. Every bit of Jaune's sanity and mind was begging him to turn on his heel and sprint away, screaming for sanctuary.

Yet he refused to turn his back. Those people needed someone. Whether a hero or a dork, he would fight for them.

He only hoped that Beacon would be watching.

* * *

 _ **That is it for this chapter!**_

 ** _It seems Jaune's getting ready to take on the world despite the odds. Sounds like a little hero, doesn't it? Maybe he will surprise us, or fall flat on his face. I cannot tell you how much I want to see him grow as a character, both in canon and out. I'm tired of seeing him as a wimp with nothing going for him and I can't be the only one who feels this, right?_**

 ** _Right?_**

 ** _Hopes and dreams aside, If your in the mood for more stories involving this blonde hero-to-be, check out the first chapter of my new side story, The Path We Take, a story with several branching story lines full of adventure, self-discovery and romance all based on one decision. Who will go with him on a certain two hunter mission?_**

 _ **I hope you enjoyed, review what you thought!**_


	4. Chapter 4: Defending the weak

Jaune took a few more steps towards the door, and once again found himself unable to touch the handle. It was there. Right there! His opportunity to be a hero, he chance to prove that he could be among the brave and daring was staring him right in the face and begging him to take it. Yet fear gripped him, preventing him from moving. He had no idea what to expect out of situation. For all he knew, the enemy could be filled to the brim with highly trained rogue hunters who would tear him apart with relative ease. He couldn't call anyone for help to deal with them. He was completely on his own this time.

His hands clenched the handle, stayed for a moment, then left it again. The cries of the people inside were still ringing in his ears. There were definitely children in there. They were in the same kind of danger. He shut his eyes tightly, shivering, mouth quivering with every shaky breath. Everything was screaming to run away right now and contact the proper authorities. Though he knew that that was far from possible. The amount of time it would take for any hunter or cop to get here would be too great. The thieves would have already left by then. Worst case scenario, there would be a few casualties along the way.

"C'mon Jaune… open it." He muttered under his breath. "You can do this. You can save everyone. All you have to do is just _open the damn door._ He finished with an angry hiss.

Drops of sweat traveled down his brow. His breath hitched as his hand closed around the door handle once more, then time firmly, without any thoughts of letting go. A child was crying on the other side, weeping that she wanted to go home.

"Shut up." One of the thieves demanded, his gruff voice overriding the terrified child's shrieking, though it didn't last long. "I said shut up! Bitch, if you don't shut girl up, I will pop one in her skull, and don't think I won't."

That only made the cries worse. Faintly, he could hear the mother talking softly, trying to sooth her terrified child, though it was in vain. The child was simply too scared to be reasoned with. A loud gunshot echoed through the somewhat quiet hall. The cries stopped abruptly. Jaune's blood ran cold.

No. No, please Oum no. This couldn't be happening. This didn't just happen. No one is that cruel. Then, to Jaune's overwhelming relief, the cries resumed, this time louder than ever before.

"That was a warning shot. Shut that bitch up before I make sure I hit my mark this time." The thief shouted. The mother was trying again to sooth her child, more desperately than ever before, once again to no avail. Jaune clenched his teeth. "That's it! you have until the count of three. One… Two…" A gun cocked. Jaune gulped.

 _Open the door… Open the door…_

 _Open the fucking door!_

"Three!"

Without further thinking, Jaune slammed his body against the wall, not even bothering with his the handle that his paralyzed hand refused to move. He stumbled into the building, then collected himself, breaking into a stable jog before stopping, with everyone else gawking at him in surprise.

His eyes darted around the many figures in the large, white, pillar filled bank room. At least seven soldiers armed teeth stood around in a tight nit circle, staring at the blonde. People of all shapes and sizes, young and old were lined up against the wall, all with their wrists tied together with duct tape. The majority of the children were in tears, and clutching their parents arms like they were their only salvation. One child in particular, a young tiger faunus, was still sobbing loudly next to her petrified mother, a bullet hole in the wall was next to her head. A spark of anger flickered in his chest.

"S-stop!" Jaune shouted. "That's enough!"

"What?" One of the soldiers asked, confused.

"I said stop! This robberies over, let the people go, and turn yourselves in right now!" The room was deathly silent for a moment, then a broke out into a chorus of callous, insulting laughter. Half of the soldiers were bent over, clutching their torso's in the hysterics. One leaned on the counter to prevent himself from falling, hand clasped over his chest in a merry laugh.

"Are you serious?" One of the soldiers said in between breaths. "Of all the things that get sent our way, it had to be a pretty boy who's not even out of school yet?"

"I bet the little runt just learned how to swing a damn sword!" The other said.

Jaune bit his lip. Unfortunately, that last one wasn't that far off.

After a full minute of laughter, it began to die down.

"Knock his ass out." The middle one said, patting the man on his lefts shoulder.

"Gladly. Teach him for being so damn retarded." The soldier marched forward, rather nonchalantly. With a flick of his wrist, a retractable metal baton spread out to its full length. The man took a half-assed swing at Jaune, only for the blonde to dodge nimbly to the side, looking slightly confused. The man took another swing of which Jaune dodged again. The soldier swung again, and again, though nothing seemed to touch the young disgraced hunter.

With one last unfruitful swing, he drew back, and stared at the masked soldier.

Why was he moving so slowly?

"Okay, stop messing around. I'm not a kid." Jaune said, rather irritated that the man was treating him as such.

"Shut up, you little brat!" The soldier shouted, continuing his assault.

The soldier's movements were exceptionally sluggish, lacking skill or strength behind each swing. In the back of his mind, he was expecting the same skill as Pyrrha, or the swiftness of Ruby, or maybe the devastating power of Yang, but he was strangely proven wrong. Inside, he felt he had fought much more terrifying and dangerous creatures and people than this one soldier.

He could predict every one of his moves before he could even make them.

Jaune caught the last swing, snatching the metal cold metal stick in his hand. Naturally, his instincts sent his aura though his arms, strengthening his hands. With one crushing grip, the thin metal snapped in half like a twig, and dropped lifelessly to the floor. Jaune sent back his own fist, and slammed it brutally against the man's helmet. The glass of the headpiece shattered, and a part of the hardened plastic caved in. The man stumbled, dazed, then fell to the floor, completely knocked out.

Jaune looked down at the man, completely in awe. The hostages looked at him with a similar expression, all of them wondering what the heck just happened. One of the soldiers however finally managed to snap out of his stupor.

"It's a hunter! Kill'em!" All at once, six assault rifles snapped over in Jaune direction.

Jaune cried out in surprise, and quickly raised his forearm, the shield quickly springing into place. Immediately the cracking of gunfire, and the sound of metal ricocheting off metal. Jaune cursed under his breath. Bullets bounced in all directions, smashing holes into any available open space around him. His eyes darted to the hostages, biting his lip. There were a few close calls, yet not a single deflected bullet touched them. He couldn't take the risk. While his aura and armor protected him well against bullets, he assumed that they would be shredded by the burning metal.

His mind shot into overdrive. Calculating where the steady stream of deflected bullets would go wasn't the hard part. Actually executing the action was another thing entirely. Some of the soldiers were rather close to the hostages, and the risk of accidentally hitting them was high.

"Everyone, back against now! Stay as far away as possible!" Jaune yelled over the gunfire, hoping that he was heard. By some miracle, he was. The hostages stood, and pressed themselves against the wall, standing stiff as a board.

Jaune took a deep breath.

Steadily, he twisted his stance, slightly curving his shield, unleashing a steady stream of deflected fire towards the first soldier that was farthest from the crowd. The bullets slammed against soldiers armor, effectively putting him down without killing him. Jaune felt glad that they had armor in the first place. The last thing he wanted to add to his problems was blood on his hands. Slowly curving the shield across, he successful mowed down three of the guards, luckily not draw on a single soldier. The final two stopped shooting to reload their rifles.

Finally, an opening.

Jaune focused his aura into his feet, and dashed forward faster than the bullets that were fired at him prior, and slammed his shield against the barrel of the gun of the soldier closest to him. The rifle flew out of his hands and clattered loudly onto the floor. Remembering Pyrrha's lessons, he lashed out with a hard kick to the man's stomach. The man fell to the floor, gasping the air. Jaune looked the final man, his heart skipping a beat as he saw the sleek black pistol pointed at his head. Instinctively, he raised his armored hand. Three shots were fired at him, all meeting his gauntlets, and bouncing off. A forth shot rang out, this time near his shoulder. He dodged to the right, and appeared in front of the man. He slammed his fist into the man's helmet to the similar effect of the first soldiers.

Once the man fell to the floor, Jaune stood in shock, his fist still out.

Did that just happen? Did he just win? He looked around. Several soldiers were on the ground. Bullet holds, cracks and burn marks covered the walls, but the hostages were perfectly fine. The cops were coming soon; no doubt someone had called them by now due to the constant crackle of gunfire.

It was over.

Snapping himself out of his daze, he pulled a small knife out of his pocket, and cut away the duct tape that bound the hostages. The majority of them stared at him.

"Are you a hero?" One of the children asked.

Jaune was taken aback. His first instinct was to say yes, but he couldn't do it. "No." Jaune said. "Just some stupid kid whose way in over his head." That last part came out in a quiet whisper. "Everyone, stay here. I'm going to make sure their all gone."

Without waiting for a single word, he strode out of the building. His heart was still pounding, his breathing erratic.. He leaned against the door. It was over. It was actually over. He did it.

He sighed. Beacon would never know what he did. Pyrrha would never see how much he had improved. He could rub it in Blake's, Yang's, and Weiss' face that he was capable of saving people. Of being competent. Of being a hero. He smiled at how Ruby would react. She would be so happy for him. Her charisma and energy, the pride in her eyes, it would have been so amazing to see. Even so, he had saved people today. And that was all that mattered.

The swishing of a cape made his hopes rise. He gazed up, smiling only to see an odd looking figure just on the other side of the street. It was dressed n a weird looking exoskeleton-like armor that was darker than night. The helmet looked somewhat like a glass dome that resembled glass from sunglasses, with odd looking eyes that resembled laser points. Jaune squinted his eyes to see the figure better, but he seemed to meld into the shadows.

"Excuse me, but… who are you?" Jaune asked, cocking a brow.

The figure stayed silent. It only took a few steps forward, mechanical whirring and the clanking of metal against asphalt was the only thing that could be heard in the silent street. Jaune further studied the figure. Upon spotting something, his mouth fell open, and cold sweat drenched him.

There was a silver snake emblem glowed brightly on its chest.

A sidewinder.

"Stay back." Jaune warned, his hands drifting towards Crocea Mors. The figure ignored him. On the contrary, he began to draw something. A silver katana that glowed a strange green hue in the darkness. "I said stay back!" Jaune shouted, drawing his sword, his shield springing out with it.

To his surprise, then figure actually did stop in his tracks. The laser-like eyes of the helmet bored deeply into his cobalt eyes. "Combat record. Battle number two-hundred and sixteen. Opponent, unknown opponent. Possible hunter-in-training. Age, most likely seventeen. Threat… abysmal."

Jaune glared at the man. He'll show _him_ abysmal! With a short battle cry, Jaune charged forward, shield first. The figure suddenly disappeared before he could reach him. Jaune stopped, whipping his head back and forth, wondering where he vanished to. He turned around, and found the figure, its back turned to him. A sharp pain erupted upon his shoulder, making him cry out, and kneel down. There was a large gash on his shoulder, blood spilling freely from the wound.

"Blood received. Now analyzing." The figure said. After a moment, he spoke once again. "Subject, Jaune Arc. Boon: Unknown. Bane: Unknown. Skill: To be tested later. Aura capacity: …" The figure went silent once again. It hummed pleasantly to itself, as if he just scored a prize. "Subject's aura capacity has breached the scale. Subject will prove useful when taken in."

Fear crept up his system. This was the sidewinder, someone who evaded some of the strongest hunters in the kingdom, and could slaughter dozens in the blink of an eye. How was he supposed to compete with that? Jaune took a nervous step back, jaw aquiver, sweat drenching him. The Sidewinder strode towards him, dragging its sword across the asphalt, the blade cutting through it like butter. Jaune tripped over onto his backside, not taking his eyes off the Sidewinder. He crawled away as quick as he could, but where could he go? He was cornered like a mouse in a cage, and the snake was coming. The Sidewinder raised his sword high, and Jaune closed his eyes, expecting pain.

A second whoosh sounded as another figure showed up out of nowhere. There was silence. Then an odd sound, kind of like a gun being fired underwater, a subdued crack if you will, along with the feeling of the ground vibrating shortly under him.

"Yup, your Jaune Arc alright. Ozpin didn't miss a beat in the description." A chillingly familiar voice said. It was deep, scratchy, and had a smidge of an accent to it. Jaune opened his eyes to see the same man he saw on the bridge, a dagger drawn, and his cloak hanging loosely around his neck, staring down at him, smiling.

The man was much younger than Jaune would have thought. In fact he'd go as far as to say that he may have been just a year if not two years older than Jaune himself. He had tousled black hair, deep blue eyes, and a ruggedly, roguish, handsome face that had more age and maturity than many of his own peers. He wore a dark leather duster, with a black, silver streaked shirt underneath, and jeans. His cloak was singed at the edges, and ripped at other angles, showing that it had seen better days, but the material looked tough and reliable. The young man reeked of experience and had a certain aura of power to him.

The young man turned around, and faced the Sidewinder, no fear in his eyes. "So, snake-eyes, you wanna start another fight? Well then, go on. Make your move." They two warriors gazed at each other. Jaune could almost feel the electric tension in the air.

"This may not be the best time, plus, this is a nice looking street. I think we'd both hate destroying it." The Sidewinder said. "I'll take my leave them. Beware, Jaune Arc. I will have you yet."

"You can try, jackass." The man mused.

"Yes. I will." With that, the Sidewinder disappeared into the shadows. Jaune, completely confused of his current situation, gaped at the man.

"Who….what…. what the hell just happened?" Jaune demanded. The man looked back at Jaune and sighed.

"Well, I was expecting someone better. You kinda suck, you know that, right?" Jaune would have been offended if he could get over his shock. "Kid, close your mouth unless you want to start a career catching flies." Jaune closed his agape mouth, and narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?"

The man smiled down at him and offered his hand. Jaune took it, and he was hoisted up. "I'll tell you later. If I ever see you again. Oh hey, would you look at that. They decided to show up." Jaune wondered who he was talking about until the screeching of sirens caught his attention. He turned and saw several cop cars drive by and stop in front of the building. There was another subdued crack. Jaune turned around, shocked to see that the man had vanished.

With a thunderous cheer, people cleared out of the store, walking to the police cars. Jaune, still reeling from the confusion, sat down, trying to steady his breath. At least it was done.

Jaune's snapped back up again at the loud revving of the truck. The driver was still in there! How could he forget about him! The truck shot forward, pushing brutally past two cop cars, knocking them onto their sides with a loud metallic screech. Jaune was about to let it go until…

"Misha, no!" A mother shouted for her child. Jaune's head whipped towards the directing of the truck. It was headed straight for the little faunus girl!

Jaune swore under his breath. Without thinking, he dashed into the road, and crouched over the little girl, who was too petrified to move.

The truck was too close to make an escape attempt. This was it. Either he took the trucks head on for the little girl, or they both died. Either path didn't spell great for Jaune, who would be taking the full brunt of the attack. The truck drew inches towards him. His heart stopped. Time slowed to a crawl. Instinctively, he raised his own gauntlet hand, and waited for pain.

The bumper of the truck touched his hand. That's it. It just touched it. To Jaune's surprise, a bright flash of white enveloped him, and the moment the bumper tapped the exterior of his gauntlet, there was a resounding deep boom, followed by a metallic screeching and the odd sound of metal warping and tearing. After a few moments, there was silence. No more glow, and Jaune couldn't feel the trucks bumper anymore. In fact, he felt intensely exhausted. He couldn't reopen his eyes if he tried. His breath became shallow, and his muscles weak.

Jaune passed out onto the asphalt, his last thoughts bordering around his past.

* * *

 _ **Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **If you can guess what happened to the truck, and why, then you get a cookie! I really hope you like the new man and the Sidewinder. His dialogue was really hard to write because I wanted to go for the unbelievably analytical, yet careful approach. He lacks a personality right now, but that's gonna be revealed later.**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks!**_


	5. Chapter 5: A Proposition

" _Hey, Jaune."_

 _"Hmm?"_

" _Why do you want to be a hero?"_

 _Jaune opened his eyes slowly, furrowing his brow at the bright sunlight that followed. He sat up and leaned back against the hard tree, pondering the question. The answer was surprisingly hard to come up with, despite the fact that he had entered Beacon for the sole purpose of being a hero. He looked at the Ruby, running his hand through his hair._

" _I honestly don't know." Jaune answered. "I've never really thought of a reason."_

 _Ruby smiled brightly at him. "Yeah you have. You just have to think harder."_

 _Jaune hummed to himself, sliding down the trunk of the tree until he lay at its roots. The scattered leaves fell slowly from the tree, swaying in the air and landing everywhere. The environment was always a good place for some peace and quiet, something that was particularly hard to find at Beacon. A lone tree just outside of the school, large and wide-spread, perfect for solitude, or a private place to talk with friends. Ruby had introduced him to this place just three months prior, and they made it so they'd visit it every week or so just to hang out alone._

 _The day was particularly bright and warm. The tree offered the best shade they could hope for in the midst of the bright sun. The school day was over, and luckily for them, no homework was assigned, leaving them with hours worth of free time. A gentle breeze glided past them, whisking away the worst of the heat._

 _Jaune sighed. Ruby was right. The reason was there, he just couldn't find it. The perfect day was supposed to help clear his mind, though it wasn't doing much for him except making him tired. What reason could it be though? A natural sense of justice or right? A love for combat? His desire to save and help others in need? Those would be the most standard answers he would think of, but it was something deeper than that. He could just feel it._

" _You know what Ruby, I'll get back to you on that." Jaune said._

" _I know you will, Jaune." Ruby said smiling down on him. That one smile alone brightened the dark clouds in his head. He didn't notice that he began to stare, eliciting a questioning gaze from the reaper. "What's up? Is there something on my face?"_

" _Huh? Oh no, sorry, I kinda just drifted off there." Jaune said, shifting his look. Was his face hot? Nah, it must've been the outside heat. "Anyway, let's head back. The others will probably want to know what we've been doing alone out here."_

 _Jaune stood up, and offered the young girl a hand. Happily, she took it._

* * *

A dull ring. A raging heartbeat. His own ragged breath. That was all Jaune could feel or hear in the dull void that surrounded him. His head weighed a ton. Gravel dug into the chinks over his armor, poking annoyingly against his skin. Feeling gradually returned to him. Pinpricks of unwanted light entered his vision, forcing him to keep them tightly shut.. There was a small, shaking weight over his chestpiece that seemed to shudder every now and again. A faint sound could be heard. Crying? Sobbing? Maybe. He let out a small groan, trying to gain some sense of bearing. Someone was talking. He couldn't tell who it was, or what was being said, but there was definitely a faint voice just outside of his senses. Luckily for him, the words began to start coming together, though it sounded garbled, and full of static, like a voice from a radio.

"What in the world…"

"Is he alive?"

"How on Remnant did he do that?"

Do what? What did he do? Jaune's eyes fluttered open again. His entire body felt shaken, weak and clammy. Everything was still so bright. Dark figures surrounded his body, standing over him in a circle. He let his head flop to the side, the blurs in his vision finally starting to vanish. Spires of red and yellow, mixed in with a blazing heat. A slight crackling sound could be heard now. Fire? Why would there be fire?

He squinted, groaned, and let his senses orient themselves. He was still lying on the thick asphalt, sore and queasy. The sky was still its deep orange hue. It seemed that not much time had passed. The hostages had surrounded him, staring down at him carefully and expectantly. The hand that had pressed against the fender of the truck was completely numb. Slowly, he sat up, clutching his throbbing head.

"What happened?" Jaune asked, then he remembered."Where's that little girl? Is she okay?"

"Misha's okay, thanks to you." A woman said, standing in front of him, holding the young faunus in her arms. The young girl was sleeping, probably completely overcome with what happened. Jaune couldn't blame her. He could barely grasp whatever was happening right now. Tears rained down the woman's, overcome with joy. "I could never thank you enough for what you've done. You are truly an Oum-send. Thank you."

Jaune was a little taken aback, unsure of how to proceed. This was something definitely new. He gulped.

"Um, no problem, I… I'm just happy to help." He said nervously.

Jaune stood and brushed himself off. He looked around cautiously, making sure that anything and everything threatening was gone before he relaxed. He looked to the side and gawked at what he saw. The truck that had nearly run him and the young girl had been overturned, with the metal of the fender having been completely caved in. Bright orange flames flickered around every orifice, spilling out and licking against the rest of the truck and the asphalt below.

Did he do that?

How the hell did he do that?

He had heard from Ms. Goodwitch before that aura can sometimes flare up in huge quantities when the person's life is in serious danger, but she said it would be enough to defend yourself, or heal, not cause such a huge amount of damage. Granted, he must have sent all of it out at once, because he felt absolutely tapped out.

All at once, people swarmed around him, asking him the very same questions that he had been asking himself the entire time. Jaune bit his lip. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came. Nerves ran high, along with his own heart, and refused to slow. Too many people. Too many people! He couldn't think properly. In one last attempt to get some peace, he softly pushed back the crowd, and walked over to the other side of the street, sitting down against the wall of another store. Luckily, the crowd seemed to get the message and left him be.

While Jaune had absolutely no regrets about helping them, he knew that he had just landed himself in more trouble. It was illegal to use aura against civilians. He wasn't sure if he could bring up an argument for self-defense or not. Plus the damage he did to the street with that truck was probably going to weigh on him too.

He thought back to the dream he had just had. That tree that he and Ruby would always visit on their downtime. Those little instances were some of the best moments he had at that school. She would always be there to offer him advice, train with him, share with him, laugh with him. He never did answer her question. That answer felt so much farther than ever before to him. But now he would never get the chance. Years later, she'd be a top of line huntress, while he would be nothing but a forgotten memory, a mistake that hurt her, and was never heard of again.

He pressed his head back against the wall, groaning. His former friends and teammates would never help him now. What was he going to do now?

"Hey-ho!"

Jaune jumped to his feet, his heart skipping a beat. "W-wha?"

The man that had talked to him earlier with the Sidewinder was standing next to him. How did he get to him so fast? And how couldn't he notice? Jaune's instincts weren't the best, but at least he could recall a presence. The man just skipped past it entirely, smiling, and brushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"You again? Who are you?" Jaune demanded.

"That was pretty impressive, what you did back there, hero." The man said, completely ignoring Jaune's question. "And to think I nearly deemed you a waste of my time. So what was that? You're Semblance?"

Jaune sighed. There were just no answers with this man. "I don't think so."

"Oh ho! There's more to it, huh? Sweet! So what is your Semblance anyway." The man asked.

"I…"

The man looked down impatiently. "You what?" Jaune didn't say anything. After a moment of hanging silence, the man got the hint. He pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes shut in annoyance. "You're kidding. You don't know your damn Semblance?" Jaune shook his head. "Ugh! A child can know their Semblance, and your telling me you, a damn near grown ass man, don't know what yours is?"

Jaune's head hung.

"For the love of…" The man sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright. Fine, I can still make this work." He began muttering things that Jaune couldn't catch.

"Excuse me?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." Then he resumed mumbling. After a minute, he stopped, and gazed silently along the distance. "Tell me Hero, have you ever heard of a little group called The Forgotten?"

"The what now?" Jaune asked, confused.

The man scoffed. "Of course you haven't. Well, we are what society leaves behind. While people lie safety in their homes, were the ones who skulk in the shadows, out of sight, out of mind." He shrugged. "Essentially, were rejects, rebels, whatever the hell will get us the most money."

"So your wetworkers?"

"Were whatever gets us the most money." The man repeated. "Be it mercs, thieves, killers, or odd job workers."

"By the way you're talking, I'll assume that your part of this group?" Jaune asked.

"And you would assume right, Hero." The man said, smirking. "You're about to have the chance of a lifetime, my friend."

"What do you mean?"

The man clicked his tongue, annoyed. "Obviously, I want you to join us."

Jaune's mouth went slack. "Me? Join you?"

"You know, these constant questions, they've gotta stop. But yes. I want you to join us." He leaned back against the wall, staring at Jaune confidently. "When I first saw you, I was pretty damn skeptical. You being too scared to fights those robbers before they entered the store in the first place didn't help. But you stuck to your guns and took on those dickless ass-clowns. You didn't do too badly, I gotta say. Then when you destroyed that truck…" He gave a low whistle, and then clutched his chest overdramically. "Took my breath way. I want you to join us. After all, where else can you go?"

The man had a point. Even going past this situation, he was still stuck in an incredibly bad condition. Barely any money, few supplies, and very little experience or history to go with it. Though there was still something that Jaune still had, something that he wasn't willing to give up. He still had his morality. He wanted to be a hero, and even though that dream seemed farther away with each passing day, he still refused to sink so low as to become a thief, or a killer. There was no way in hell Jaune would stoop so low.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna have to refuse." Jaune said, narrowing his eyes at the man.

The man's brows rose. "Oh, well that's kind of unexpected."

"What, do you think I'd just skip over to you without thinking?" Jaune demanded, glaring.

"Well, yeah actually." The man put a hand to his chin, and hummed thoughtfully. "Alright then, how about you take this, cause I think you're about to have a rough few days." The man stripped off his cloak. A flurry of white spilled out, with two furry tails dangling from the sides of his jacket. A pure white scarf was wrapped around his neck, hidden underneath the cloak. He tossed the rather large cloak onto Jaune, shocking him with its surprising weight.

"Why are you giving me this?" Jaune asked.

"Just tryin' to be nice." The man replied. Most likely, he noticed Jaune staring at his scarf because he added, "Like it? It's a special make."

"Uh…"

"Aw whatever. Look, I'm on a bit of a time crunch at the moment, so I can't really stay here and chat. So…" He took a black card out of his pocket and gave it to him. " _When_ you reconsider, go to that bar on the card. It's in downtown Vale, not that far from here actually. That's where you're guaranteed to find me." Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but the man cut him off. "Just keep it, Hero. I'm doing this for you, okay?"

Jaune stared at the man for a moment, then took the card and placed it in his pocket. He looked back at the man. "I still have a bunch of questions-"

"And I have a bunch of answers, Hero. You just have to find me and ask them. But I'll go ahead and get the biggest out the way. The names Michael, and starting today, you're worlds about to change, though whether it's for the better or not is completely up to you. Take care, buddy." Michael gave a short wave, and a smile. To Jaune's shock, Michael vanished with an odd sound, like a bullet being fired underwater.

Jaune was at a complete loss for words. How did he do that? Was that his Semblance? Maybe. It didn't matter now. He had more pressing concerns. He was starving, and he had to find a place to sleep for the night.

Now if only a hotel would take thirty-seven lien.

* * *

Jaune stared at the dirt, the morning sun beaming down on his hot, stiff neck, still reeling from the hardness of the bench he had been sleeping on. He rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes, and begrudged forced himself up. He was getting sick of his own disgusting scent. The armor clung tirelessly to his sweat-dampened clothes, but he refused to remove it. Sleeping in an area like this needed all the protection he could muster. Crocea Mors lie in its sheath, trapped beneath his back while he was sleeping, hoping and praying that it would not get stolen.

Five days had passed since Jaune had been expelled. Five days passed since his world had been torn asunder because of one bad decision. Five days since he breached the threshold of the most painful days of his life. As expected, he suffered. He suffered hard. He couldn't find a place to stay, and had resorted to sleeping anywhere he could, from benches to trees to even he cold hard asphalt in some random alleyway. His good saving skills had allowed him to retain enough money for small portions of food at a time, though at this rate, he wouldn't last another week before he would have to get desperate. If he wasn't already.

Yup, not his best week.

He pushed himself to his feet, strapped Crocea Mors to his belt, and stretched, popping his bones and realigning his frame.

"Okay, what to do today." Jaune mumbled to no one in particular.

The market was out today. Maybe they have something cheap that he could buy and eat for breakfast. He walked out of the park, rucksack over his shoulder. He reached the market quickly, and was already salivating at the delicious scents of the foods. Luscious, thick pieces of meat hung from stocks, full and juicy, ready to be heated and devoured. Fruit's lined the walls of small stalls along the street, all ripe and plump. To his disappointment, they were all too expensive for him to buy. He had only seven lien left after all, and just buying a single fruit could take out half of it.

Jaune bit his lip. He was running out of options.

Then he spotted it.

An apple.

A single apple hanging loosely from a stock, just outside of the view of the vendor. Jaune looked around. There was barely anyone around. He wasn't in any kind of store, so the chances of any kind of alarm, or security were slim. It was just hanging right there. _Right there,_ so close to him. How easy would it be if he could just take it? Who would notice? Who would care about a single apple?

Through his clouded thoughts, he walked slowly towards it, hand slightly outstretched. He gulped staring at it. The redness of the orb, the lusciousness of its skin, the overall ripeness. It was so close now. All he had to do was grab it and walk away, simple as that.

His hand nearly clasped around it.

Jaune froze.

What? What the hell was he doing?

He drew his hand back, turned heel and ran away as fast as he could. He didn't care how bad it looked, he just wanted to get out of that terrible situation as fast as possible. The town became a dull blur around him as he sprinted past it. He ran until he couldn't anymore, stopping and pushing himself into a small alleyway, where he sat, knees clutched against his chest. He could feel a certain prickling in his eyes. Tears slowly fell down his face as the cruel reality of what he nearly did set in.

He nearly did what he promised himself he would never do. While the notion itself wasn't that bad, all he could think about was that if stealing would be so easy, then what about killing? This new life held many shocks, and dangers, and he would have to be desperate to claw to stay alive.

Why?

Was what he did so bad that it had to come to this? What left could he lose now?

"Dammit… Dammit… Dammit…" He chanted bitterly, burrowing his head between his knees. Despair and sadness swallowed him, sending him deeper and deeper into his own demons. What was the point now? Was there any point anymore? He thought he had prepared for this on the way to Vale, but no, it was still devastatingly painful.

Should he just stop right now, while he was ahead?

"Jaune?"

He froze at the familiarity of that voice. It was definitely one he had not been expecting to hear for years. He looked out towards the end of the alleyway, and gawked at the beautiful blonde woman in front of him. She looked down at him with her shockingly similar blue eyes, just as surprised as he was.

"Joan?"

* * *

 _ **Well, our boy's really in the dumps now. But now he may be getting a leg up from the Arc family. Maybe. Thanks for reading, and for your patience.** **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	6. Chapter 6: Family Ties

Jaune couldn't properly process his emotions as he stared at those same azure eyes that he had starred in since he was born, he found himself at a loss for words. This was far from what he expected to happen today. In fact, he doubted he would ever see those eyes again after the final night back at his home. The words that were said, and how they were said should never have been said, but they were, and now his family had left him behind. But here he was, staring at the surprised gaze of his eldest sister, unable to move from his asphalt.

"Jaune?" Joan asked cautiously. She was holding back, keeping her voice down. Jaune could tell that she was scared that he would run off. "What are you doing here? And why do you smell so bad?"

Jaune raised his brow. "What?"

"You reek." Joan replied bluntly, placing her hands on her hips. "What have you been doing? You smell like a Beowolf ate you and spat you back out again."

"That bad, huh?" Jaune said, more to himself than to his overbearing sister. He hadn't thought of that. He hadn't taken a proper shower in five days. Maybe the desperation in his situation shielded his own bad smell from him. It would explain the weird looks he got in stores lately.

"What happened to you?" Joan asked. "I thought you went to Beacon. You did go to Beacon right?"

Jaune flinched, unable to find answers. As much as he trusted her, and loved her, he didn't want to relive the last five days. Call him a coward, or maybe weak, but for the sake of the remnants of his dignity and pride, he didn't want to talk about it. His gaze shifted downcast, staring at the ground below him. What really struck him was that the last time he saw her, he swore that he would be better, no, he would be the best. One of the greatest hero's Remnant had ever seen. And then the expulsion happened.

"Jaune?" He refused to look at her, still silent. "Get up."

Slightly started by her firm command, he gave a surprised grunt. "I said get up. You're coming with me." Without waiting for an answer or response, she grabbed him by the wrist and tugged him to his feet. She pulled him out of the alleyway, and into the street, nearly tripping him the process. She was certainly still powerful, there was no doubt about that. She could probably give Nora a run for her money.

"Where are we going?" Jaune asked.

"Home." She said simply.

It was then that Jaune panicked. His heart thudded in his chest at the prospect of returning home. He planted his feet into the sidewalk, digging his heels into the solid concrete, refusing to move. He shivered and shook, though not from fear. The anxiety of that night was still there, and he had no intention of returning anytime soon. And he didn't think that his father or many of his sisters would be happy to see him again either. His father had made that very clear. Joan tried pulling her mutinous younger brother harder, nearly pulling his leather gauntlet off with him, though the blonde boy refused to move. She glared back at him, clearly frustrated.

"Jaune, move. You can't run away forever." Joan growled. Jaune still refused to move, gripping the stop sign next to him for good measure. "Dammit kid, why are you being so difficult!" She sighed aggressively, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You don't think they're still mad, don't you?" Jaune nodded slowly. "Well they aren't. In fact, Mom won't shut up about her little precious boy, all alone in this cruel, cruel world. Gabriel's doing the same. Iris keeps crying for you to come home. Don't you see you stubborn jackass? Don't you see how selfish you're being?"

Of course Jaune knew. He knew since the day he started Beacon that he was doing this for his own self-worth. A purpose for a goal that he had yet to find. He spent money that his struggling family earned for forged documents that could propel him forward in life, only for it to be shoved back into his face. He was living his punishment now. Breathing it. Hating it. But not cursing the situation, or the people involved, just himself. He knew what he did. He knew the consequences. He was just glad that it didn't get worse. He couldn't have been in the Atlas prison yard right now, being torn apart by the many inmates who would love a chew toy like him.

Even though, despite everything, he could never go back home.

Jaune knew this was selfish, but in all honesty, he didn't care. He didn't want to go back to see his father's smug superiority, or his mother's pity. He didn't want to see his sisters baby him, treating him like he was a doll. No hope, no future, no honor. Just the name Arc. To this end, he continued to stand his ground, looking his sister dead in the eye with a rare sort of steely determination.

"What about dad? He's gonna be happy to see me, I can't guaran-damn-ty that." Jaune demanded.

Joan went deathly silent, lips pursed, concern in her eyes. "You know he never meant what he said."

"Are you sure?" Jaune's voice grew cold as he remembered that final snowy night at his home.

"Jaune, that was months ago. I'm sure he's forgiven you by now." Joan said hopefully.

Jaune's brow twitched. A spike of anger lodged into his heart. _Jaune_ would be forgiven? What about that damned old man? The things he said should never have been said to his son. There are few things that Jaune could hold a grudge for, and his father had somehow dragged the spite out of him. It was after those horrible words were said that drove him over the edge, forcing the young man into a dangerous corner of his mind that he never though he would enter. An edge that made him steal their family heirloom, and money from their treasury, and leave.

"Forgive me? What the hell does he need to forgive me for? Do you know the bullshit he said to me? Would he say that to Iris?" Joan's grip wavered. Her brother's anger, and rising tone was getting the better of her. "Or Reyna, or Gabriel, or Mila, or _you?_ Huh? _Do you?"_ He shouted out those last words, making Joan's heart skip a beat. She stared at him as if it were for the first time.

Jaune heaved a sigh. "I'm not a child anymore."

"That is very obvious." Joan said, running a hand through her hair. She gazed silently at him, thinking. "Well, I can't exactly force you home, can I? Considering that you are not only armed, but a lot stronger than you used to be. I still remember pile-driving you little ass into your own bed. All the same, I can't just leave you out here."

"If you've got a place for me, I'm all ears."

"Yeah, I've got a place for you." She gave him a mischievous grin. "Hope you don't mind rooming with your sister again."

"You moved to Vale?" Jaune asked, raising a brow.

"Recently, yes. Now let's go. There's someone that wants to see you."

* * *

The ride down the streets of Vale wasn't anything interesting. The city was something that Jaune had seen many times, and his recent experiences only added to it. What surprised him was how nice the apartment complex was. Compared to the large farmhouse that they both grew up in, this small apartment was a mansion in disguise. He got out of the car, and walked with his sister into the building, already appreciating its simplicity. It was small and compact, with crème-yellow walls, littered neatly with colorful portraits. The living room seemed to encompass the entirety of the room, with two bedrooms on one side, with a kitchen just offset, and a bathroom near the front door.

It was small, but it was one of the best things he had seen in what felt like a lifetime.

"It's not much, but it's nice, cheep and very comfortable. To us at least." Joan said, a strange sort of pride in her voice.

"It's perfect." Jaune said, smiling.

"It is, isn't it. Just drop your stuff near the couch. Make yourself at home." Jaune nodded and slumped down onto the couch, leaning his head back. The leather softness pressing against his back felt heavenly. He didn't care if it was a dingy, worn out hand-me-down, it was paradise to him, much more comfortable than the dark and cold alleyways, or some random park bench in the middle of the street. He hummed merrily to closing his eyes.

"You still like that old couch?" Joan asked.

"Mm hmm."

"Then that's where you're sleeping." Jaune heard her walking just outside of the room, presumably to the small kitchen.

"Saving that room for someone else?" Jaune asked nonchalantly.

"No, it's already taken."

"You've got a roommate?" Jaune asked, surprised. From his experiences, Joan was never the sharing type. She was more the 'give it to me, or I'll kick you' type, and often wanted to be left alone. It didn't help that she was a teenager when he was younger. The drama that he had to deal with at times was staggering, yet so stupid at the same time.

"In a way." She said, smiling for some reason. "Don't worry your little head about it. It's still early, so she's not up."

Jaune nodded. He then pulled out his scroll for one last attempt at turning it on. Once again, it failed. Jaune sighed. He may as well throw it out. It was nothing but empty dead weight in a small metal box now. He sighed. The scroll held so many memories that he didn't to just throw away. So many photo's, so many faces, so many reminders of what he used to have. He didn't want to just give it up so easily.

"What's that you got there?" Joan asked, poking her head right into his field of vision.

"Nothing." Jaune replied, trying hastily to tuck away the scroll, but he could miss his sisters snagging fingers as she swiped it out of his hand. Damn her swiftness! When she saw it finally, she gawked, eyes wide, mouth agape.

"This sure ain't nothing. Where on Remnant did you get this?" She waved it in his face, adding to his agitation. "How did you get your hands on a scroll like this? This is nearly next gen right here."

"It's standard issue in Beacon. Everyone has to have one." Jaune grunted.

"Well I envy you. But why isn't it turning on? Did you recharge the battery?"

Jaune bit his lip. "No, it's busted. It's been acting like this for the last five days now."

"You don't seem that bothered. I mean this is an expensive fix, and didn't you say you needed it for Beacon?" Another spike lodged itself into Jaune's heart. This time, he didn't know what to feel. He felt sad, and guilty for lying to her, but at the same time, it felt necessary. The moment she knows that he'd been expelled, she'd drag him back home kicking and screaming if she had to. That was just the kind, caring sister she was. And it was the kind, caring sister that he didn't need right now.

"I-" Jaune started, unsure of what lie to spout. "It kinda got broken and I was in town to replace it. I just wish there was a way that I could get the photo's on here."

"Oh that? That's easy." Without warning, she gripped the scroll at both ends, and slammed it down onto her knee. There was a sharp crack as the screen shattered, and the entire frame spilt in two, shocking Jaune out of his mind.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jaune demanded.

"Take it easy, little bro. I'm just looking for the data chip." Joan replied dismissively. After rummaging a bit through the broken bits and pieces, she picked out an extremely small chip, clipped between her two fingers. "Ah ha! Found you." Without looking back, she lazily tossed the broken scroll behind her, letting it clatter on the floor, small bits of screen and hardware spilling and spreading out. She went into her room, and picked a small object that looked like his old scroll, but it was larger and bulkier, with the screen taking up most of the object.

"What's this?" Jaune asked.

"Oum, does anyone know their classics anymore?" She said with a sigh. "It's a photo viewer. Its main purpose is to show old photo's in high def. Can't do much else though unfortunately, but you get the point. Since I'm not using it anymore, I was wondering if you'd like it."

"Are you serious? Of course I would!" Jaune said, excitedly. Like a child who got an unexpected present, he eagerly took it from her hands, and let her place the chip inside as his large fingers were too large to properly hold the chip. He clicked the small button at the top, and the first photo sparked to life. Jaune smirked as he looked at his own shocked face, his skin ghostly pale in the blinding light, minty foam dripping from his mouth. He actually remembered that. He didn't know the scrolls took pictures, and he took an odd looking photo of himself while he was in the bathroom getting ready for bed. It shocked him to hell, and gave Nora a chance to laugh at her new leader.

Peeking over his shoulder, Joan gazed at the photo, and then burst out laughing. "How can you not know that it took pictures?" She said, holding her sides, and gasping for air. Of course she knew the situation. She was his sister after all. Joan knew him better than anyone.

"Hey! That happens to a lot of people I'll have you know."

"A lot less people than you think, Jaune." She said, catching her breath. "You never cease to amaze."

"It's a gift." Jaune said, smirking.

"Or a curse."

Jaune rolled his eyes. Before he could start scrolling through the album, a very shrill, familiar sounding yawn took his attention. He turned and spotted a young girl, that nearly took his breath away in surprise. No older than seven, she was rather short and spry for her age, with light brown hair, and the same blue eyes that he had known since the day she was born. As soon as she saw him, her eyes widened, and she smiled brightly.

"Jauney! " She squealed. She ran up to him, and jumped into his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she nuzzled her cheek against his.

"Hi, Iris." He said lovingly, squeezing his youngest sister tightly. "Now just what are you doing here?"

"She wanted to visit me, so mom dropped her off." Joan said, smiling at the display.

Jaune nodded, and rubbed the top of her head. Iris pulled away from his face, her nose crinkled. "Jauney, you stink!" Jaune rolled his eyes. She was the only one that he'd let call him that.

"I know squirt, I haven't showered in a bit. I will though." Jaune said, patting her head.

"Yeah, like right now." Joan said, tossing a towel at the back of his head. "I don't want you stinking the house out. Body wash is in the topmost shelf. I assume you still use that baby shampoo." She smirked at his indignation as he put Iris down.

"Hey! It keeps my hair soft!" Jaune whined.

"Whatever, just get to it!" She grabbed him by the sides of his armor, and all but tossed him into the bathroom, and slammed the door behind her. Carefully, he stripped off his armor, and placed it onto the tile floor. He stripped out of his hoodie, shirt and jeans, all of which seemed to stick to him after these long past few days. He was glad to finally have them off. The sweat and stink was starting to get to him.

The shower felt heavenly. The hot spray of the water seemed to clean away all of the scum that had covered him these last few days. The water below was tainted black due to his own residue. Looks like this shower was going to take much longer than he thought. Under the spray, he began to think of what to do next. He knew his sister would let him stay here as long as he wanted, and maybe even longer than that, though he knew that wouldn't do. He could find a job with her recommendations. Or maybe just run odd jobs for the time being.

None of them seemed to appeal to Jaune, who was still a warrior at heart. He longed to return to battle, and be able to protect and defend those he needed him. The Atlas Military was still not a good idea considering his current situation, and he didn't have the experience necessary to be a bounty hunter. He needed proper training, guidance, people to trust.

He wanted his old life back.

But that wasn't something he could just wave and make it come true. He knew that getting his life back could be possible. It would be slow, agonizing, and horribly frustrating. He will fail over and over again, but staring at the brightly lit tile wall had given him a sense of hope. He was here now. He was off the streets, and was soon to be back on his feet. Eventually, he may find an instructor who will further his training. He could do this, but not yet.

Not yet.

There was still a ways to go. A journey that had to be traveled. And he would succeed no matter what, even if it killed him.

* * *

 _ **Thank's for reading! I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! Jaune's spirit is partially renewed, and he's about to decide his future next chapter!**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	7. Chapter 7: Prove me wrong

_It was a day in the combat hall like any other. The mad clashing of metal against metal. The salty sweat continually pouring from his brow. The familiar aching and itching of his body as he continued his defense against the brutal assault he was receiving from an even more familiar brutal red-haired bully. The blonde's sword was long forgotten, stuck blade first into hard floor. Only his shield remained. His last means of defense, and it was far from enough._

 _Jaune had made the mistake of raising his shield too high. Now he was regretting it dearly, because if he tried to move away from the raining blows of the larger boy now, he may as well forfeit the match to him. The boy swiped down upon the shield again and again and again, never ceasing, all with a smug, sure smile on his face that Jaune hated more than anything. Each strike brought him further and further down onto his knees. One last brutal strike sent him sprawling to the floor, shield knocked out of his grip, and sent clattering onto the ground, leaving Jaune defenseless._

 _Cardin eased back, smirking. "Hey Jaune? I've got a question for ya."_

 _Jaune groaned. He knew what was coming. "What is it?"_

" _What's my name?" Cardin sneered._

 _Jaune bit his lip painfully, resisting the urge to say something that would make the situation worse. He stayed silent, not wanting to indulge the larger male in the same arrogant question that he heard over and over again._

" _Well, are you gonna answer or what?" Cardin asked, stroking his own hair, grinning like a mad cat. Jaune remained silent. The smile began to fade from Cardin's face as he wasn't getting the desired effect. "You better damn well answer me, Arc."_

 _Where are you, Ms. Goodwitch? Wasn't she going to stop this? It took a moment for him to realize that he hadn't reached the yellow zone in his aura gauge yet. The fight was still on. Cardin was just trying to prolong it. To make it as agonizingly humiliating as possible. That was just the kind of sick bastard that he was._

 _With on last effort of resistance, Jaune leapt to his feet, and rushed over to his forgotten sword. Grunting loudly from the effort, he ripped the sword out of the thick floor, and charged the brute, surprising him. But surprise can only get you so far. Cardin went from a defensive block to a searing attack before Jaune could even think. In a single stroke, Jaune's sword was once again sent clattering out of his hand, and he was on his back. This time, Cardin pressed his boot upon Jaune's armored chest, preventing him from rising._

" _You're getting feisty, ya little shit bag." He sneered, pressing harder into Jaune, who groaned in pain._

 _A whistle blew. The crowd was silent. Jaune relaxed, staring at the ceiling. He knew what had happened. The match had been called to a stop. Jaune had lost once again. This time, he hadn't even struck Cardin once. To make matters worse, Jaune hadn't even reached the yellow zone on the aura gauge. He was incapacitated not once, but twice. And that was just enough for Ms. Goodwitch to call it off._

" _You didn't answer me. What's my name?" Cardin asked once again, smiling connivingly down on him. Jaune sighed. There was no way around it now. What was the point in resisting?_

" _Cardin Winchester." Jaune mumbled._

" _Louder, shit-muncher!"_

" _Cardin Winchester!" Jaune squeaked as Cardin pressed his boot between Jaune's ribs, effectively knocking the air out of him._

" _Great. And what I do?"_

" _You teach everyone their place. The freaks, and the losers, all of them." Jaune recited lamely. This was far from the first time he had to say stuff like that._

" _That's right." Cardin released Jaune. "And don't you forget it." He then spun on his heel, and walked back towards his teammates, slapping high fives and roaring with laughter. Sickening, mocking, jeering laughter._

 _He heard a loud whoosh next to him, and the familiar sweet smell of roses. "What do you want, Ruby?" Jaune grumbled, still on his back, staring at the ceiling._

" _Thanks for reminding me." Jaune growled, already hot in the face with anger._

" _Do you need any help?" She asked sweetly._

" _No, I don't need help from you." Jaune snapped. "I don't want anyone's help! Now do us both a favor and leave me alone!" Jaune then leapt to his feet again, and walked out. He ignored Ms. Goodwitch's annoyed calls, he ignored the students mocking and jeering. He even ignored Ruby's hurt face. And that was most likely the biggest mistake he made that day._

* * *

Jaune woke up from that nightmare feeling rather queasy. He couldn't even call that a nightmare. More like a memory of a time that he wanted to forget, but at the same time, didn't. He hadn't realized that he had even fallen asleep, though he figured that the combination of a nice, hot, relaxing shower, finally fitting back into cleaner clothes, and his new found comfortable spot on the couch, he must've dozed off. He still could just barely open his eyes.

Once he finally forced them open, his heart skipped a beat. There, on a small LED screen, was one of his happiest moments ever. Team RWBY, and his former team all struggling to get into photo view. The picture was perfect in representing the madness and camaraderie that they all had.

Jaune struggling to hold his scroll in place with Yang busting out into the center of the photo, practically jumping onto Jaune's back. Blake had tried to escape, but no one escaped Yang's powerful grip. The black cat Faunus had a surprised, wide-eyed look at the camera, while Weiss, who wanted nothing to do with the photo, was dragged in by Ruby, who swung in from under Jaune, dragging an angry Weiss along, grinning broadly. Pyrrha, Ren and Nora somehow made it too, just squeezing into the photograph, creating a cacophony of madness.

And Jaune missed every bit of it. It felt like he had a crater sized hole in his heart. He sighed, and swiped his finger along the screen. The next photo swiveled by. Yang was wrestling Jaune into a chokehold, while Nora had stolen his scroll for a picture. Jaune smiled. He swiped again. It was him and Ren after they let Ruby braid their hair. Oddly enough, they looked good. Even the braids were poorly done. He and Ren were fist-bumping, smiling at the camera.

Jaune felt a tear run down his cheek.

More and more picture's, and Jaune was nearly broken. Before his emotions could wreck him, he swallowed them down, and turned the photo viewer off. Lying on the couch, crying his eyes out wasn't going to get that happy, familiar feeling back, now was it? There was still a ways to go, though he still didn't know where he would start.

No. He did know a place to start. He just didn't want to consider it.

Though despite his moral compass arguing with him at every step about it, he couldn't deny it. Michael's words enticed him. A chance at a new start, or a chance to rebuild broken bridges, and get his old life back. It sounded good. Really good.

Too good.

There was always a catch. Something Jaune would have to give up that would make his life much worse than it was now. But what? And would it truly cost him at all? He didn't know what to think.

"Jauney!" Iris cried, breaking him out of his thoughts. She rushed up, and jumped onto Jaune's lap, smiling brightly at him.

"Hi Iris." He said, rubbing the little girls head. While he preferred to be alone for the moment, he couldn't deny that the love and attention she gave warmed him up a little.

"Oh, Jauney! Guess what! Guess what!" She said, shifting madly where she sat.

"What?" Jaune asked, stifling his laughter.

"Daddy's coming!"

Jaune instantly froze, feeling a mix of emotions swell inside of him. "Say what?" Jaune's attempt at keeping his voice under a cordial and kind volume worked much better than he thought it would.

"Daddy's coming! Aren't you excited?" She squealed, rocking on Jaune's lap.

"Yeah, very excited." Jaune said in his usual cheery tone, albeit a little strained. Obviously, excited was the last word he would use to describe how he currently felt right now. He had a hard time keeping his composure if he were being honest. "Hey, Joan? Could you get in here?"

"Oh you're finally awake? Do you realize how long you slept? It's nearly two in the afternoon." Joan commented, stepping out of the kitchenette. "What do you want, little bro?"

"So, dads coming, eh?" Jaune asked, barely concealing the edge in his voice. Joan's face paled, though she didn't change her usual annoyed looking expression. "I would've loved to know ahead of time. You know how I deal with surprises."

"That's why I didn't tell you. I thought it'd be nice for you to see him again. Besides, he comes around once in a while anyway, and since you're here, why not talk to him." Joan said hopefully.

"Uh huh." Jaune's voice was quiet, though still somehow composed, trying to keep Iris out of the loop. As far as she knew. Jaune and his father had never argued on the snowy night so long ago, and Jaune had left to become a hero that everyone loved and respected. And for all intents and purposes, it was going to stay that way. He needed at least one person to love him and not know just how much he failed.

"Hey, Iris. What do you say about heading to the park with me?" Jaune asked kindly.

"Really? With you? Yeah! Let's go!" She chirped. She bounded off his lap, and raced over to the door, where she picked up her shoes. Joan scoffed at her, smiling down at her.

"She did miss her older brother."

"Yeah, I missed her too." He said, putting on his shoes. He looked over at his armor, though the thought of putting it back on again after wearing it non-stop for several days made his chest tingle unpleasantly. Instead, he took Crocea Mors and strapped it to his back. Joan looked at her brother in mild surprise.

"You're not putting your armor on?"

"Why bother? The sword and shields all I need right now. Besides, that old thing could use a wash. I'll take care of it when I get back." Jaune replied, running a hand through his hair, trying to make the messy mop as neat as he could.

"Did you seriously where that old bunny hoodie from the box-top competition for the Pumpkin Pete challenge to Beacon of all places?" She asked, hoisting the pungent hoodie up.

"Hey! That took a lot of box-tops, and even more patience and diligence!" Jaune whined.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night." Joan said, tossing it near his rucksack. "You can wash that too while you're washing your armor. I don't want it stinking the place out."

"Fine." Jaune grunted back. After cleaning his teeth quickly, he raised to the door where Iris was waiting for him, bouncing happily on her heels. Jaune opened the door, and she raced out onto the walkway, only stopping when Jaune yelled for her to stop. Before he could leave, Joan grabbed him by the shoulder, turned him slowly, and stared at him. For the first time in ages, he saw sadness and a hint of desperation in her eyes.

"Please don't go." She whispered. Jaune grunted at her, yanked his shoulder away, and walked away. "Jaune, you can't keep doing this. You can't run from him forever."

"Oh yeah? Watch me."

With that, he took off after iris, who had ran off down the street, leaving Joan to wonder if she'd ever see that youngster who'd beam brightly at her in awe at everything she said and did.

The walk to the park had gone smoothly. Vale was so peaceful during the day that he'd have to wonder what kind of demon's possessed the town to make it so dangerous at night. As soon as they arrived, they passed most of the time away by playing, pushing Iris on the swings, and making sure that she didn't wonder off. After a good few hours of playing, Jaune finally gave in, and collapsed onto the bench, watching Iris play and have her fun elsewhere. Jaune sank his head back onto the headrest of the bench, sighing lightly.

So far, the day had been kind to him. This was the greatest amount of fun he had since he left Beacon. Seeing Iris have so much fun reminded him of when he was a younger, when the prospect of being a hero was somehow farther from him. He reached into his pocket, about to pull the old photo viewer of off of his pocket before a striking voice startled him.

"Well, look who is." Upon hearing that boisterous voice, he froze up, mouth agape. "Close your mouth, Vomit Boy, you're gonna start catching flies if you aren't careful." A beautiful, voluptuous girl stood before him, her mane of golden hair gracefully swaying in the gentle breeze. She grinned down onto him, hands at her hips.

"Yang?" Jaune gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Just hanging around. It's the weekend after all, so Ruby and I decided to take off." She said simply.

"Figures. Wait, Ruby's here too?" Jaune asked hopefully.

"Yeah, she's by the swings. I think she's taking a liking to some little girl who asked to play with her." Yang said, pointing her thumb to the other side of the park where the play-sets were. Jaune snorted. Of course Iris would attract Ruby's attention. That little bundle of energy and madness would love to meet someone similar to her. Jaune got up from his seat, and walked over to where the play-sets were, though to his disappointment, he couldn't see Ruby anywhere. And for that matter, Iris.

Jaune broke into cold sweat. While he did trust Ruby with his life, and considered her more than capable of keeping his sister safe, Iris was still his sister, and he was scared to have her out of sight. Jaune whipped his head around, keeping a sharp eye out for her. With a sigh of relief, he found her going backwards and forwards on the swing set, though he didn't see any sign of Ruby.

"Jaune!" A squirrelly voice came from behind. Suddenly, small arms wrapped around his torso, something else pressed against his shoulder blades. A small head maybe?

"Ruby?" Jaune tried.

"Who else?" Ruby chirped back. Instantly, upon realizing that it was her, his heart leapt. Every dull place in Jaune's head lit up, and he thousands of things flooded through his mind. Thousands of words that he wanted to say. He turned to face her, and smiled down onto the girl, every detail of hers being oddly distinct. Her short, silky black hair, streaked with red. Her bright and amazing smile. He looked at her as if he hadn't seen her in years, and it seemed ridiculous to him. Maybe it was because prior, he thought he'd never see her again. "How have you been holding up these days?"

And just like that, Jaune's heart sank again. Ruby let go of him, expecting an answer. "I've been… doing better now." _At least I've got a nice place to sleep now._ "How're you doing? And the others?"

"Well, your team misses you. So do I." Her gaze shifted sideways after she said that, a tint of red in her face. "They haven't replaced you yet. Pyrrha said that they'd at least wait until the beginning of the fourth quarter before they replaced you."

"Why so late?" Jaune asked.

Ruby shrugged. "I think that they think that you're coming back? I don't know really."

Jaune opened his mouth to ask about the school, and what they were saying about him, but he decided against it. He figured that the less he knew of what they really thought of him, the better. Jaune and Ruby both sat onto the bench, chatting it up as it Jaune had never left Beacon in the first place. They laughed, joked and chatted so long that the sun had already began to creep down the horizon, and a shadowy orange enveloped the sky. Jaune was in the middle of a joke that was falling flat when Yang stepped in, tapping Jaune's shoulder.

"Hate to say it, Vomit Boy, but we gotta head off if we want to catch the Airship."

Jaune nodded, though Ruby groaned. "Sorry Jaune, I'll see you later then?"

"Any time you want." Jaune said, smiling at her. She gave Jaune a nice long hug that seemed to agitate Yang a little, but he didn't care.

"Rubes, if you'll excuse us, Vomit Boy and I need to have a little chat." Yang said sternly. Jaune actually did pale this time.

"Sure. Just don't take too long, or I'm heading off without you." Ruby said. With one last smile and a wave, she walked out of the parkway, and out of sight. Yang took a few glances around to verify this, before turning to Jaune, all semblances of her smile gone.

"Listen." Yang said, gripping Jaune's shoulder strongly. "You hurt Ruby, much more than anyone else. You didn't even say goodbye. Do you know how much that her? She spent the first two days crying, and the third dead silent."

Jaune bit his lip and looked away in shame. While he knew that his friends had suffered in some way, he didn't expect such a strong reaction from the little reaper. Hearing it drove a stake through his heart.

"Normally, I'd beat the shit out of someone who did that to her." Yang said. The air began to crackle and heat. Jaune was afraid, though the shame still won over, and he remained still. After seeing the guilt in his eye, Yang eased up. "But I'll leave you be. This time." She sighed, clutching the bridge of her nose. "Of all the people, why'd it have to be you?"

"What did you say?" Jaune asked.

Yang gave him a very dry look. "I'm gonna be honest here, 'cause no one else will. You're a mess. A complete disaster. Everyone knows it but you. And still she believes in you." Jaune's eyes widened, completely taken aback. "Hard to believe, ain't it? But yeah, she still thinks you can make it, and come back. She thinks you have a plan. You do have a plan, right?"

Jaune's mouth raced before his mind. "Yeah I do."

"And you're sure it's going to work out for you?"

"Y-yeah." Jaune croaked. He pinched himself for not sounding the least bit sure of himself.

"Hmm." Yang narrowed here eyes, staring deep into his eyes. "What is it then?"

Jaune's breath seized. Why didn't he think of something before speaking? Quickly, he began relaying his options, though for some reason, it always went back to that same place. He became suddenly aware of the crisp, thick, black card in his pocket. The card that was given to him by that lofty, carefree looking mercenary. And then it all clicked.

"I'm going to be a warrior for hire." Jaune said firmly.

Yang's eyes widened in surprise. "Really now? You? A merc?"

"Yeah." Jaune said with a stiff nod. "And I'll be the best mercenary the worlds ever seen. Give me a few months, maybe more, and Ozpin will be begging to have me back." Yang stared at Jaune, dumbfounded, though it was quickly replaced with a smirk.

"So Vomit Boy, you think you can hack it out there on your own? I mean, it is a cruel world out there."

"Of course I do. Trust me, I already know how bad it can get out here."

"Maybe you do, maybe you don't. It's not my place to judge." She put a hand on her chin. "Alright. Go and be a merc. And you better be a damn good one. We're counting on you. Do I think you'll make it? No. Absolutely not. In my opinion, you should cut the shit and go home."

"Are you telling me to quit?" Jaune asked sullenly.

"I'm telling you to prove me wrong."

Jaune nodded. "Don't worry, I will."

"You better. I have to go. See ya soon?"

"I hope so." Jaune said, smiling at the busty blonde. "See ya." Yang gave a short wave, then raced off to find her sister. At that moment, Iris stepped next to Jaune, absolutely exhausted.

"Jauney, I'm tired." She drawled.

"Yeah, let's go home. Maybe Joan's cooking dinner by now." Jaune replied, offering his hand. She took it and climbed atop his back, clutching him tightly. She buried her head into his back, and before he knew it, she was asleep. Jaune walked back to the apartment, stopping wearily outside, looking for an extra car. When there wasn't one, he slowly unlocked the door and made his way in. He gazed around the brightly lit room. It was quiet. He eased himself across the small living room, eyes darting, making sure the coast was clear.

"He's not here." Joan's sudden voice startled him. He spun around to see Joan standing by the door, her face apathetic. "He left not too long ago."

 _Good._ Jaune as half tempted to say. He walked into Iris's room, and tucked her into her bed, brushing a hair out of her face. He turned to Joan, and instantly, she recoiled. He was giving her that look. That same look that he had given her when he left on this hell-scape of a journey.

"I don't like that look in your eye." She said. "It always means you have some harebrained that's gonna get you killed."

"It means I know what I have to do now." Jaune corrected. He sighed, and looked at the couch. As much as he'd love to just lay in there and just forget, he couldn't. It was time to take a stand. And the start was that little bar downtown in Vale. "Joan, can you do me a favor."

"What's up?"

"I need a ride."

"To where?"

"Downtown."

Joan sighed. "Am I gonna regret this?"

"You're gonna regret it even if this goes right." Jaune retorted with a smile.

"I guess I am. Well, what do you want me to tell Iris." Joan asked pointing to her.

"Tell her… I'm on a mission. And I'll see her again soon."

"Right answer. Now, let's go." They packed his stuff, hopped into her car, and drove down the streets until the reached some of the darker parts of town. Many drugees, drunks and gangs stared at them as they drove by. At one point, Jaune had to flash Crocea Mors to prevent one of the gang members from stopping them. Jaune looked at the address and told his sister to stop just in front of a small building, just barely noticeable in the gloom of the night.

Getting out of the car, rucksack at his back, he turned to her. "The moment I leave, floor it."

Joan nodded. "Take care of yourself, little bro."

"You too. And thanks.

"Anytime.."

As directed, the moment Jaune turned his back, the car sped away, leaving Jaune on the cold, dark street. He gulped, standing in front of the bar. The neon lit sign in the window said closed, but somehow, Jaune knew otherwise. Carefully, he opened the door, and was instantly assaulted by the stench of alcohol and urine. He cringed and blocked his nose, but he could almost taste it now.

It was a small bar, with several tables near a window, and stools lined along a long table. Dark, dank and surprisingly clean were the only words he could describe the area. Despite the area, and the design, it looked clean, and rather well organized. Behind the counter was Michael, dressed in a white dress shirt tucked under a pair of dark slacks. He was cleaning out a dirty class with a rag, smirking.

"I see you decided to stop by. What'll it be?"

"Um, I don't drink." Jaune said nervously. "I thought you were a mercenary."

Michael rolled his eyes. "I am. I gotta have a place to stay, don't I?" he clicked his tongue, and leaned over the counter to get a better look at Jaune. "So you're gonna take me up on the offer."

Jaune took a deep breath, giving an answer that would change his life. "Yes."

Michael's grin grew wide.

"Good. And now, the fun begins."

* * *

 _ **Well it appears Jaune is starting his new life! Can't wait to write how that turns out. Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed the story, PLEASE REIVEW!**_


	8. Chapter 8: Brave new world

Michael opened the upstairs door, and gestured for Jaune to follow. Nervously, Jaune obeyed, walking into what he could have thought as the most standard bedroom he'd ever seen. It was white walled, with a closet and a decent sized bed that looked old, yet very well preserved, and that was about it. Nothing hung on the walls, or detailed that there was once a bit of life in this room. No scent or sight told him that this room had ever been used. It reminded him of a hospital room; sterile and empty.

"This is where you'll be staying. I don't suggest putting shit on the walls. You may not live long enough to appreciate it." Michael said as if Jaune's possible death was an afterthought. Jaune opened his mouth to retort, though an impatient look on Michael's face warned him otherwise. "We'll start tomorrow. Get some sleep. Trust me, you'll need it."

Jaune pursed his lips. He hadn't even started down his new path yet and he already knew that Michael was going to be difficult to work with. Something about the man demanded attention and enforced dominance that Jaune couldn't disobey. No nonsense and no necessity seemed to be how the young mercenary operated, and he was getting some Ms. Goodwitch vibes from him that he was already uncomfortable with.

Either way, Jaune needed answers. Walking into this kind of life blindly was just asking to die.

Michael turned to leave, though he looked back at the confused look at Jaune's face. The young man sighed, and leaned against the door. "Alright Hero, what do you want?"

"Uh, I-"

"Okay, stop right the hell there." Michael commanded, raising his hand to stop Jaune. "I don't want to hear that stuttering bull. You are nearly a grown man, so damn well speak like one. Think before you speak and speak with confidence, or don't speak at all."

Jaune gulped, taken aback by the young man's sharpness. It probably came with the territory. You have to be strong and daring to thrive in this dangerous world. Jaune knew he would have to adopt this trait soon. "What exactly are we going to be doing? As mercenary's I mean."

Michael clicked his tongue. "Shouldn't that be obvious? We're doing any work that comes our way. Whatever the client wants, we are. That's how it works around here."

"That's it?" Jaune asked.

"That's it." Michael affirmed. "But trust me, no matter how simple it sounds, we follow this iron clad rule. The job is our life. Nothing else matters. We do the job, we honor the call for mercenary's." he scoffed. "As honorable as it could be anyway. Whatever the case, we do whatever comes our way. Odd jobs, military contracts, fetching-"

"Killing?" Jaune asked in small voice.

Michael's face didn't change. In fact, it seemed more apathetic than usual. "Yes. Plenty of that. Wetworking is one of the most often requested jobs if you're good at it."

Jaune's heart sank like a rock, his gaze downcasting. The prospect of killing wasn't anything new to him. He knew that it was an eventuality due to the fact that Hunters were called to take care of people as well. Rogue hunters, and high priority targets were often sought for by licensed hunters because regular people wouldn't stand a chance. However, Jaune never took the time to stop and think about what it would mean to take a life. To be so merciless and swift of eliminating someone and then sleep well at night afterward seemed cold, and barren to him.

But it was the life he chose, and the only life he had now. Hunter or not, mercenary or not, he couldn't stop now.

"I'm not gonna have to worry about you, am I, Hero?"

"No, and it's Jaune by the way." Jaune said, stifling his annoyance.

"Good. Anything else you wanna ask? Were burning moonlight here, and I gotta get back to my shift before the Old Man has a fit." Michael said flatly.

"Old Man?"

"The guy who runs this joint. This place is kind of a hub for mercenary's. We get our jobs here, and a potential place to stay if we have jobs that are rather lucrative and long. Such as the one I have right now."

"And that is?" Jaune asked curiously.

"Think about it. I swoop in out of nowhere several times in one day, saving your sorry ass one of those times, and I knew you by name despite never having met you. Who would provide that kind of information to an employee?" Michael asked dryly. Jaune didn't have an answer. He gulped at the demonic look he got from the older mercenary. "C'mon Hero, you've been with the guy for a good few months now. Runs a school for the gifted? Has this whole fatherly figure shit going with him?"

"Professor Ozpin?" Jaune guessed.

Michael snapped his fingers, beaming sarcastically at the boy. "And thank the Lord, the boy has a brain! Now let's see if he can use it next time." Jaune ignored that, curious at what he stalwart principle would want with Michael, and for that matter, Jaune.

"What did he want with me? I thought I wasn't his responsibility anymore."Jaune mumbled.

"He isn't, but I am. That is what he hired me for of course."

"What?"

"Oum above, you really do ask a lot of questions." Michael sighed. "He hired me to make sure you stay alive. Take you on missions with me. There's a bit more to it, but I'm not allowed to elaborate. Mission details, you see."

Jaune nodded. Knowing how much Michael was a stickler for the rules, seeing him break his own would be quite an anomaly.

"Do you know what happened to the Sidewinder?" Jaune asked, his breath hitching a little.

Michael's brow twitched. Had Jaune struck something? "You won't have to worry too much about him. Stuck a sword right through his chest."

Jaune flinched. "D-d-did you-"

"English, idiot! Speak it!"

"Did you discover anything about him?"

"Hmm, good question actually. Very detective of you. That may make some jobs easier. Anyhow, yeah. I discovered that our friendly neighborhood asshole was not quite human. It seems like while he was talking to, he was adapting to your speech. Before I wiped him out, he was completely fluent. Now what detail does that tell you?"

Jaune placed a finger to his chin in thought. The fact that it was just adapting to his language meant that there was a possibility it could've been freshly made. That in itself didn't make sense because the Sidewinder had been around for quite a while according to the news. That could've meant one thing. There was more than one, and someone is making them off a factory line. He gulped, bringing a smile to Michael's face.

"I guess you've gotten the point." Michael said. "Now you see the danger that all of us are in. That one robot was tough as all hell, and I've been in this job for a long time. I have to make you stronger. Not just stronger than your peers, but better. I have to make a full fledged mercenary out of you before the month is over. If I don't, or you don't learn, you're going to die. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

Jaune nodded, shivering from his own cold sweat. "Is there an original?"

"I can only presume. There has to be a human one somewhere. And he is no doubt the best of the bunch."

"How do you know that?"

"If you want a beta, you need an alpha."

"One last question." Jaune said firmly.

"I can only hope." Michael lamented. "What do you want now?"

"Can you tell me how I can communicate with others while I'm on missions?"

Michael snorted loudly. "Communicate? I hope you said your goodbyes, 'cause you're not gonna see them for a long time."

"What?" Jaune squeaked, his heart skipping a beat.

"You heard me." Michael said firmly. "The thing about mercenary's is that we're alone. The only reason why I'm helping you right now is because it's my job. Trust me, once were done, I'm leaving you out to dry." Michael stretched. And yawned nonchalantly. "Merc's rarely team up. Even if they do, there's a big chance of them killing each other since they want the full cost. Mercenary's set up a duel policy for that very purpose. You set up a time, place, and weapon ahead of time. Whoever keeps there life, or doesn't give up keeps the majority of the money. That's just how it works around here." Michael's head drifted back, staring at the ceiling. "I guess that's why were considered rogues."

"Oh." Jaune sighed, stumbling back and falling into his new bed.

Camaraderie was abysmal then? He had a huge chance of getting stabbed in the back the moment a mission was done. And not only that, he couldn't talk to any of his friends and family. His previous team and its sister team hadn't felt this far since he had been expelled. Neither had his relationship with his family.

"Were you close to your family and friends?" Michael asked. Jaune opened his mouth to answer, though none came. He couldn't look the older boy in the eye. Michael smiled. "Good. Then that shouldn't be a problem. Oh, and just fair warning. This isn't a mercenary policy. It's more of a moral one. This isn't the kind of job that people look up to you for. In fact, I daresay that the vast majority of people hate us. Were relentless, heartless and will literally do anything for a quick buck. Sleeping with someone for information, murdering in cold blood, casting aside all your morals to get the job done. That's how it works around here. Now I ask you again."

Michael leaned in, narrowing his eyes on the blonde.

"Is this the job you want?"

In Jaune had heard this all prior, he would have said a firm and solid 'hell no!', but then again, he didn't have the choice to say no. If he declined, he would have nowhere to go. This path was less than honorable, but it was the only path he had.

"Yeah. I'll take it."

"Good. We begin training in the morning. If we're lucky, you'll be able to have your first job by the end of the month. Maybe you might get a few solo missions by the three month mark, but that's up to you. By the sixth month, my contract with Ozpin ends, and I'll be on my way. By then, you'll be competent enough to fight on your own." Michael stopped, placing a finger to his chin. "I… think. Goodnight Hero."

"It's Jau-" Jaune was cut off by the slamming of the door.

Jaune grunted, annoyed. The bed wasn't the most comfortable in the world, but that was par for the course. It was enough for him to sleep, and that was it. He felt exhausted, running a hand through his hair. He affirmed to himself over and over again that he was doing the right thing for him, but every time he did, he saw the cons a lot more than the pros. Maybe he just needed to get used to it. If Michael could survive all these years in this environment, then he could too.

Slowly, and surly he closed his eyes and let sleep take him. He was really disappointed to find that his sleep was dreamless. He was awakened by his door slamming loudly.

"Hey! Wake it up, Hero! Rise and shine! The day is here, so come outside and claim it!" Michael shouted through the door. Jaune groaned loudly, wondering why he couldn't throw this annoying alarm clock like he could all the others. "C'mon Hero! If you're not out and ready in ten minutes, I'm leaving your sorry ass in this bar. Alone."

Jaune perked up immediately, hopping off his bed, shoving his armor on and ran out the door, nearly hitting Michael in the process, who was wearing a leather duster with a dark shirt underneath and jeans. "Sword." He said simply. Jaune scrunched his eyes, wondering what he meant when he noticed that a familiar weight that should have been there wasn't there. Jaune swore and ran back to collect Crocea Mors. "You know, I was only kidding about leaving you here."

"Yeah, I figured. Good morning Michael." Jaune said with a loud yawn.

"Morning, Hero." Michael quipped.

Jaune was nearly grinding his teeth. Was he ever going to get his name right? "It's Jaune!"

"Your point? I call you what I want. Now move it, Hero." Michael said smarmily. Jaune grumbled under his breath, collected anything else he would have forgotten, Jaune tripped on his way out landing in front of Michael, who looked down at him with narrowed eyes. "You've got quite a long way to go, Hero."

"So where are we going?" Jaune asked.

"So many questions with you." Michael sighed. "We're going out. That's all you need to know."

"But-"

"Out!"

Jaune didn't need to be told twice. He raced down the hallway, tripped and fumbled down the stairs, thanking Oum for the thousandth time for aura. Michael cackled madly behind him, pointing down at Jaune's crumpled, dizzy heap.

"I swear, if the other mercenaries don't kill you, your own stupidity will." Michael said merrily, shaking his head. "I have a feeling this may be more interesting than I thought. Here I thought I would be babysitting for these next few months."

Ignoring the odd looks he was getting from the bar inhabitants, Jaune and Michael walked out of the bar, and right next to a black car. Michael opened the door and gestured for Jaune to get in. Jaune obeyed, closed the door, and leaned on it. "Could you please tell us where were going?" Jaune nearly whined.

"Ask that again, and I'll dump you on the side of the road." Michael said, slamming his own door.

"You are joking again, right?"

"I dunno. Am I?"

Jaune decided not to question any further than he had to. He just simply stayed quiet and watched the city pass by rather slower than he would have expected. For a Merc, Michael drove relatively safely all things considered. Maybe he didn't want any added heat from the law. Which also made him wonder something.

"Hey Michael, I was wondering something."

"You always are."

"How often do we have to worry about the law?" Jaune asked, curling his fingers in.

"Oh, that's actually a good question. Good on you. We have to deal with the law quite a bit in our struggles. They _really_ don't like us. Probably 'cause we're careless at points." Jaune cringed. He was afraid of that. "I won't suggest getting caught doing something illegal. Atlas corps, and many smaller polices don't usually bother us if we're doing our contracts as long as we stay in our job parameters. Think of it like a safety net. They'll only bust you if you do something illegal that's outside those parameters. For example, I take a job to kill one guy, but then I end up killing another one. I get busted for that kill."

Jaune nodded attentively. That did make quite a bit of sense. Though he never would have figured there would be a sense of freedom with the mercenaries. He had always thought the police and Atlas were at constant war with them, treating them like pirates and terrorists.

"That tactic is a clever one for making sure mercenaries don't kill you. Stage a decoy. Unless the merc escapes, or hides the body, you'll get busted. You of all people wouldn't wanna get caught. I hear that prison boys like blondes. And you quite a lot of hair that can be grabbed." Michael sniggered at Jaune's terrified face.

"You're joking this time, right?" Jaune asked hopefully.

"That's for you to decide.

After a twenty minutes, they stopped at the side of the road where all that stood was deserted sand and rock. The air was laden with dust and to clink to any tight part of Jaune's armor and clothes.

"So-"

"Before you ask any stupid questions, I'll just get it all out right now. We're here to evaluate you. The first thing we're going to assess is your combat skill. And how we're going to do this? Well…" Michael reached into his car and pulled out two odd looking machetes. The left was black bladed with a redish tint on the edges, while the right was significantly broader and straight edged, thought not much taller, and gold bladed with a bluish tint on the edges. He twirled the blades skillfully in his hands, smirking. "It's really simple. I'm just going to fight you. Not at my greatest capability of course, I just want to know what I'm dealing with."

Jaune's heart pounded loudly in his chest. Even though is body burned, cold sweat coated him. He was about to fight a dangerous mercenary just out of the blue? He was just barely getting over his car sickness. How could he hope to fight him now? Michael looked at him, impatiently tapping his foot.

"Well, are you gonna draw your sword or not?"

Jaune fumbled with Crocea Mors hilt, drawing his sword rather clumsily. The moment the sword hilt touched his hand though, he felt his nervousness ebb away until a strict determination replaced it. Something about having that sword in his hand made him a new Jaune every time he held it. His mind shifted straight into his analytical side, sizing Michael up and thinking of the best course of action. Michael was of an average build, in fact, he seemed a little slimmer than that. Meaning there was a possibility that he focused on speed over power. His stance also suggested a rapid means of attack. A shield should do well against him.

Jaune had this, right?

Just after Jaune's shield had been deployed and equipped, Michael had closed the distance between the two, blades out in an x formation. Both blades went down onto his shield. Jaune's eyes widened. The pressure… it was devastating! The ground shook underneath him. Jaune's mind shifted back to its analytical edge one again, adjusting to his power, and running the shield against the blades, sliding beside him. Keeping the blades at a distance, he struck with his sword. Michael ducked, and surprised Jaune by slamming his shoulder into him.

The two began trading blows, Jaune watching Michael's unbelievable footwork. The young man certainly knew what he was doing. The man was like a hurricane, slashing and twirling madly, keeping Jaune pressed for defense. Jaune knocked his blades aside once again, and struck down with his sword, only to be blocked by something he couldn't see. Jaune gawked as his sword rested on solid air. The solid wall expanded and slammed into Jaune like a truck, sending him flying several meters away, slamming back first onto the solid floor.

"Like that?" Michael called.

"What even was that?" Jaune croaked, standing and brushing himself off.

"That is Guardian, or this thing over here." He twirled the golden, blue tinted machete in his right hand. "If I flood my aura into it, it expands a force outside of the blade which hardens on my command. I can probably stop a tank with this thing."

"Isn't that a little overboard?" Jaune asked wearily.

"And your large ass shield isn't? Shut up and fight, Hero."

Michael charged in once again. Jaune struck down hard, expecting the aura shield to rise up again, but it didn't. This time, his blade was pinched skillfully between the two blades, and Crocea Mors was wrenched out of Jaune's hand. The blade was sent flying clattering onto the soft dirt, leaving Jaune weaponless. Jaune swore as Michael closed in, expanding his invisible aura shield to bash into Jaune's, knocking his aside and leaving Jaune open for attack.

Everything shifted to slow motion. Jaune could make out every detail of the black serrated blade, and the crimson glow that seemed to color it. The blade was calling for Jaune's blood. He was gonna die. He was gonna die!

Get away!

Jaune burst into an explosion of white. There was a deafening boom, and the sound of dirt and rock shattering and blowing away. Then came the dizziness. Jaune shook and wobbled where he stood. His head felt fuzzy and light. He hadn't felt like this since he had blasted away that truck last week, only this time, his entire body was one big numb mass. Jaune moaned softly before falling onto his back, letting the darkness take him.

Michael was half conscious when his back hit the dirt. Blurred vision and mouthfuls of dust were there to meet him. Went the loud boom died down and the dust settled however, Michael stayed flat on the floor, on his back staring at the dusty sky wondering what in hell just happened. He hadn't felt this kind of shock in a long time. And all this from a blonde idiot that made a stick look like an oak tree.

"Ow… shit." Michael groaned, rubbing his head. Thankfully, his aura was unusually potent, or he would have been flattened like a pancake against that boulder that he shattered with his back.

Who knew the kid had it in him. That was the same of bright flash and deafening boom he heard when Jaune turned that truck into a heap of molten metal. That power was incredible, whatever it was. It couldn't have been his semblance as Jaune would have known if it was. Maybe there was more to this kid than meets the eye.

"Hey, Hero! That was quite a show. Maybe I'll make a good merc out of you yet." Michael said, wearily standing up. There was no answer. "Uh, Hero? I'm not dead yet. You can speak to me." Once again there was no answer. Confused, Michael went to check on the blonde hero only to see Jaune in the middle of a gaping crater in a smoking heap. Michael narrowed his eyes in concentration. The ground didn't look burned or singed. It actually looked like it was forcefully split apart. A blast of pure unadulterated force that slammed into you like a train.

Well, this seemed like a good time to call the old man.

* * *

 _ **And there you have it. The next chapter. I hope you enjoyed, and please review! Have a nice day!**_


	9. Chapter 9: Methods to Madness

"And that's about the gist of it." Michael said to his small microphone through a mildly strained voice, carrying Jaune's heavy unconscious form on his back. While the blonde hero's latest development was quite a shocker, it did leave the both of them without a ride as Jaune's little outburst had turned their car into a heap of fiery metal and smoke, meaning they had to walk several miles home. Though Michael was doing the majority of it considering Jaune had fallen unconscious afterwards.

For nearly an hour, Michael had carried the burning teen on his back, which didn't seem like much trouble at first, but then he realized just how much damage Jaune had done to his aura. Michael's aura had been so involved in absorbing the pressurized force, and the impact against the rock that he barely had any left to boost his physical strength. His feet routinely sank into the soft dirt and mud, his excellent balance stopping him from falling. The morning sun was starting to border overhead, calling the time of Noon.

"Hmm, well that's quite a development." An abnormally deep and raspy voice said through his earpiece. "When Ozpin first described him, I was expecting a complete disaster."

"Well you weren't far off." Michael said, hitching Jaune up before he dropped to the ground.

"How do you figure?"

"Old man, the dudes a complete mess. His skills are so subpar that I wouldn't be surprised if he had just got into combat school. His swordplay's sloppy, his footwork's a joke, and he spends the majority of his time hiding behind that big ass shield." Michael growled, hitching up Jaune once again when he began sliding. "To make matters worse, he has little to no aura control whatsoever. Whatever he has is so bare bones basic. Just basic reinforcement. Nothing else." He sighed aggressively. "What the hell were they teaching him? Do you honestly expect me to teach him?"

"Of course I do." The Old Man said bluntly. "Like it or not, you're one of the best mercenary's in Vale. You've tackled jobs that would make veterans shit themselves. I think you can teach a boy. Plus, who else would do it? Like you said, he's got a long way to go, and any other teacher would deem him un-teachable."

"He's far from un-teachable. It's just that my methods may be a little… brutal." Michael said in a low voice. He shifted slightly only for Jaune's face to flop onto his neck. Michael shivered disgustedly. He swore, when this kid wakes up…

"That may be exactly what he needs." The Old Man clarified. "Someone rough. Someone who won't baby him. Someone who will do whatever it takes to make him the best."

"But what I'm thinking of doing... it might just kill the kid."

"If he dies, then we know that it wasn't worth it, and Ozpin was wasting both of our time."

Michael clicked his tongue. "Everything's all business with, you isn't? You don't even care about the potential loss of life of a kid as long as it suits your needs." There was a shuffling movement on the other end. It sounded like the rustling of papers, and the clacking of them being bounced against the table. Michael clicked his tongue again. That bastard wasn't even paying attention.

"Anything good about the kid?" The Old Man asked absentmindedly.

"Surprisingly, quite a few things. One thing in particular was hi- _ugh!_ What the hell! That's freaking gross!" Michael shouted as the wet, warm dribble of drool trailed down his neck. The feeling of it against his skin was slimy and disgusting, almost like warm gelatin as it worked its way down to his undershirt.

"What is it?" The Old Man asked, slightly startled.

"The little slobber-monster's drooling down my damn neck! Ugh, that's just not right." The mercenary hissed venomously. He continued on, his voice breaking every so often. "What stands out about the kid is his analytical mind. He analyzed me before we even started fighting, and-" He cleared his throat, rubbing his neck and shoulder together to try and make the feeling go away, though it only made it worse. "and adjusted to me accordingly. Strangely enough, he predicted my movements, despite me being faster, stronger, and much more skilled."

"Ozpin did mention that his leadership quality was outstanding. Calm headed in the face of combat, and very creative in his solution. He naturally applies it to his fighting style. Given enough time, he'd make a fascinating opponent." The Old Man said observantly.

"Another factor is the kid's aura. It's absolutely incredible. Large in quantity and absurd in power."

"Bigger than yours?"

"By a long shot. I don't think that I've even encountered anything like it. Luckily, it was just us here. If we were in the middle of a street, he'd have blown it sky high."

"And you're sure it isn't just his semblance?" The Old Man asked in a low hum.

"It it was, we would all know it. It would have altered his body in some way. No, we haven't even come to the cusp of what he's capable of." Michael hummed a little to himself. "This might actually be fun." Though there was something that concerned Michael. The boy was special. No doubt about it. But why was he special? From what he could understand, he didn't' wield a relic, and he wasn't a part of a particularly powerful bloodline. Or was he?

"What's his last name?" Michael asked.

"Uh…" There was a mad shuffling of papers before he received an answer. "Arc. Why?"

"I want a full background check on this kid. His family friends, past contacts, social history, everything. I want to know everything about this kid right down to his shoe size. I need to know this asap, savvy?" Michael demanded.

The Old Man scoffed. "Since when did you give me orders?"

"Since two old men ordered me to start babysitting." Michael retorted.

"Snarky little…" The Old Man did his usual silent grumbling, and then conceded. "Fine. I'll get your info. You better appreciate this, boy."

"I think I'm a little too old to be called 'boy'." Michael said, shivering in disgust as the drool had breached his undershirt and traveled sickeningly down his chest.

The old man scoffed. "Twenty-two isn't what I'd call old back in my day, boy."

"We aren't exactly in your day, are we Old Man? Over and out." Michael pressed his ear against his shoulder, effectively shutting off earpiece. With a sigh of relief, he spotted the gates for the city of Vale just overhead. His plight would soon be over. Now all he had to do was wait for the idiot blonde to wake up. He gazed back at the sleeping blonde and sighed again aggressively. This was going to be a long day.

In these past few months, Jaune had been so accustomed to unconsciousness, he didn't even question what happened anymore. The very moment he opened his eyes, he was alert and ready, albeit a little groggy. Upon opening his eyes and welcoming the feeling around him, he immediately noticed the familiar softness under his back, and the sterile, white walls of his room. The weight of his armor was gone. The sunlight that glared through his open window was blinding, making him cringe as he tried to gaze upwards. He groaned faintly, rubbing his eyes, hissing lightly at the abrupt throb in his head. A throb that he had felt once before on the street after that robbery.

The majority of his body was completely numb, and buzzing slightly. It felt like he had been electrocuted. The slight burning smell of his clothes and the dull ringing in his ears supported his theory. What on Remnant happened to him? All he remembered was a shimmering blade closing in on his body, a blinding white flash and a titanic crack that echoed through the air. Everything after that was a complete blank.

Jaune tilted his head, finding Michael sitting in a seat, staring at him. "Morning, Hero." He said rather gruffly.

"What happened? How did we get back here?" Jaune asked faintly.

"Well, what happened was that you decided to show me a trick that I wasn't prepared to see. Damn near blasted my head off, that did." Michael said, nonchalantly tapping the side of his head. "And you got here by me carrying you a good ten miles with you drooling down my neck." Michael tightened his gaze, not even concealing the edge in his voice. Jaune just shrugged. Michael sighed and leaned back into his chair. "Now I assume you have a shit ton of questions."

"I… yeah." Jaune admitted.

Michael rolled his eyes. "If you must. This will be the last time I play twenty questions with you, hear me? What's first?"

Jaune gazed at the ceiling, pondering what his first question. Finally deciding it, he spoke firmly, as not to further agitate Michael's mood. "First off, what happened back when we were training?"

Michael shrugged. "Not much to tell. We fought, I kicked your skinny ass from here to Mistral. Our little duel told me quite a bit about you."

"Like what?" Jaune asked nervously, almost predicting what Michael was going to say.

"You suck. You really do. The mission details weren't kidding when it said you hadn't been properly trained yet. I actually wanna know how you made it this far in Beacon." Michael said dryly. Jaune pursed his lips, staring down at his own blanketed legs, feeling his dwindling confidence take another blow. Though he couldn't help but feel curious of the words that Michael spoke to him last night.

"You said you were going to make a good mercenary out of me in a month. Make me stronger than my peers." Jaune said.

"You got it." Michael confirmed.

"How though? Have you _met_ my past classmates?"

Michael grinned devilishly. "Trust me, once you get used to my training methods, you'll be a damn sight tougher than you would believe. And before you ask what it is, it's essentially this." He stepped up from his chair, and began pacing around the room. "For six days a week, you will devote eight hours of your time to me. We will begin at eight every morning, eat something, then spend at least four hours on combat training. Maneuvers, methods, and basic swordsmanship. That kind of deal. Here, you will be honing your reflexes, precision, accuracy, and overall combat skill. You will learn to fight in different situations, weapons, and simulations that may happen in missions."

Jaune's eyes widened in shock. Four hours? He had to do constant, non-stop combat training for _four hours_? He could barely last one hour with Pyrrha back at Beacon, and he could already guarantee that Michael was no Pyrrha. He wouldn't dote on him, and mother him like she would. Michael smirked at Jaune's expression.

"Seems you don't like that last part, eh?" Michael sneered. "I don't blame you. I had a hard time adjusting to it myself when I first started, but you'll get used to it with time. Besides, you'll have a two hour rest and respite time doing something just as important."

"And that would be?" Jaune asked with a small gulp.

"Cracking these open." Michael said, snatching a plastic bag from underneath the bed, and dumping its contents at the foot of Jaune's. It was a messy assortment of large textbooks bearing equations and coat of arms symbols, giving Jaune an uncomfortable chill.

"What is this?" Jaune asked uncertainly.

Michael clicked his tongue. "Books. What else are they supposed to be? Bombs? Portals to another dimension? Dammit, kid, use your sense."

"I mean what are they doing here?" Jaune said shakily.

"Why, there here for you to learn, of course. You will spend two hours a day learning everything in those books. You have calculus here, combat and Grimm history, writing course, language, anatomy, etcetera."

Jaune gave a loud, annoyed groan. Of all the things he had expected from this job, he never would have thought school work would be a part of it. "You're not serious?"

"Oh I'm very serious."

"Of all the things, why?"

Michael clicked his tongue again, obviously annoyed. "Why do you think you learn this shit in the first place? It's so you can implement it into the real world. Mathematics helps with your precision, timing, and angling. History can show you victories, strategies and mistakes of the past. Writing and language is more for espionage purposes, and anatomy should be obvious. Knowing the human and faunus body makes it easier to kill them." Jaune openly cringed. Michael rolled his eyes. "Or incapacitate them. Just having instincts and learning from your enemy can get you so far. Tell me, what have you learned of me just from me talking?"

Jaune though hard before speaking. Aside from the obvious, what did he notice? Trying to find micro details in itself wasn't always the hard part. Reading people was the only he could make it through combat, especially with the brazen, viscous opponents like Cardin. However, from first glance it was apparent that Michael was cut from a much more seasoned cloth. Michael was smiling. Jaune could see that plain as day. However, there was an emotion behind it that Jaune couldn't trace properly. A sense of cunning and maturity that Jaune secretly yearned for. There had to be something there, but whatever it was had been lost to him.

"You know what? Get back to me on that once we're done here. Though you see my point, right?" Michael said after a few minutes. Jaune nodded, propping himself up by his elbows, welcoming the returning feeling in his body.

"Well, I had to do this sometime…" Jaune mumbled, staring grievously at the stack of books.

"That's the spirit, hero." Michael said with a smirk, slapping Jaune on the bag of his head. Jaune moaned back, rubbing the back of his sore head.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Jaune asked curiously.

"Calling you what?"

"Hero. I thought heroes weren't in this kind of business."

Michael scoffed. "Okay, I could go ahead and spout all this bullshit about how _heroes aren't welcome in this job."_ He put on a deep, gravely impression, waving his arms nonsensically. "But the reality is that you could be whatever the hell you want, be it hero, killer, or both." He stretched, and yawned. "I call you hero because that's one of the reasons you came to me. You see, with this job, everyone has a reason. You don't just walk into this life for the fun of it. Those who do are the ones you want to worry about."

"Why's that? And why does everyone need a reason?"

"This job isn't a nice one. You don't need me to tell you that though. Some choose it to earn money for their struggling families. Others do it to help themselves stay afloat. Others also enjoy traveling, fighting, or to earn experience. There are more complicated reasons of course. Like yours." Michael said, scratching the back of his head.

"Complicated? How? I thought it was straight forward."

"Is it really? I can tell the reasons just from looking at you." Michael put a hand to his chin, narrowing his eyes on the blonde. "You're lost, alone, confused, with nowhere left to go or run. You have everything to prove, and nothing left to lose. I called it, right?"

"Yeah but… you missed one." Jaune mumbled.

"Did I now?"

Jaune pursed his lips, eyes downcasted towards his own blanketed toes. There was one reason the young man missed. The main reason he started this trek the path of mercenaries. The reason he felt when he saw the gates close on the world he loved. When he saw the castle slowly exit his view with the tall, enigmatic old man who welcomed him there in the first place staring disappointingly at what Jaune truly was.

"I want a second chance." Jaune said, keeping his eyes down. "I want to go back to Beacon."

Michael stared, eyes narrowed, expression stony and focused. "That's quite a claim."

"It's possible, I know it is." Jaune said, determined.

"Of course it's possible. Many people before have convinced the old man to bring them back, though only for extraordinary reasons. You're gonna have to make a good one." Michael said.

"I will. Trust me, one day I will." Jaune said as firmly as he could.

Michael chuckled loudly. "Maybe yes, maybe not. Who knows? We'll see after your training. Speaking of which, we'll start that tomorrow. I've got a shift to fill. You rest up for the rest of the day?"

"Your shift? What… what time is it?"

"Past noon. You've been asleep for nearly six hours. That little explosion really takes it out of you, eh?"

"Explosion, what?"

"Later." Michael said, walking towards the door, dress shirt in hand. Before he walked out the door, he turned, gazing curiously at Jaune. "By the way, did you find out anything about me?"

Jaune furrowed his brow. He hated that arrogant confidence in his tone. As if Jaune was stupid, or a child. Neither was true. Jaune wasn't stupid, he never was. He had just made mistakes and is paying for them. Wait a moment… his tone. There was something about the way he spoke that seemed unnatural. It was a small feeling, but it was there, and nagged at his side constantly.

Michael's tone and inflections suggested that it may not be his true voice, tone, accent, anything like that. It sounded manufactured, and prepared early in advance. What also troubled him was his accent that was so faint, he could barely hear it. It made him wonder if that was his voice or not. It shone surprisingly much more when he was angry, or frustrated.

"Your accent." Jaune said simply.

"What?" Michael demanded in a surprisingly harsh tone. Michael narrowed his gaze further on the boy, teeth grit.

"Y-your accent. It shows more when you're angry." Jaune said nervously.

"I don't have a… how did you…" Michael lost any edge in his voice, his face pale and focused. It appeared that wasn't the answer that Michael was expecting. After a moment of awkward silence, he stormed out the door and slammed it behind him, leaving Jaune numb and confused.

Jaune woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly refreshed. The numbness had completely faded away, and he was able to walk steadily now. After taking a small shower, and getting dressed, he strapped Crocea Mors to his waist, and set out to see Michael waiting out the door, arms crossed, and his faced scrunched.

"Good morning." Jaune said faintly.

"You're late. You were supposed to be up four minutes ago." Jaune rolled his eyes. "Yes, were doing this right now. Any late time you have gets doubled. Luckily for you it's only eight extra minutes. Now let's go. There's a large training space in a deserted park not too far from here."

Jaune nodded, and stumbled out with Michael into the open streets, eye stinging from the sudden rush of sunlight. The first place they went to was a building just next to the bar. It was exceptionally tall, with an agonizing amount of stairs that only served to make the tired blonde wish he were back in bed. When they had finally reached the roof, they were so high that the cars at the bottom were merely speckles of light in the bright morning rays.

"So, is this where we start training?" Jaune asked with a yawn.

"Naw. This is the place where you wake the hell up." Michael gestured Jaune to follow him to the edge. When he did, he quickly recoiled. The height was horrendous! Dropping a quarter from this height with be like firing a bullet straight towards the ground. Michael turned to Jaune with a smirk.

"Okay. Jump down to the very bottom."

Jaune cleared his ears, certain he didn't hear what he think he did. "Excuse me, what?"

"Hero, did I stutter? Jump down to the bottom! You see the trash bags down there? There meant for you to jump on. Or don't. Give your aura a workout why don'cha. Besides. There's no way to get where we want to go at the time that we want without taking a bit of a leap of faith." Michael said with a shrug. After staring at his students reluctance for too long, Michael decided to take it upon himself to show the kid how it was done. "Fine, step aside little man. If you don't jump after me, I'll get back up here and push you." Without hesitation, Michael hopped off the edge, whooping and hollering loudly. Like a cat, he landed on his feet, missing the trashbin completely, and looked up at Jaune, waving his hands expectantly.

This was insane! Sure Michael could do it, but Jaune had never grasped the fundamentals of landing! What on Remnant was he supposed to do? With a click of his tongue, he shook his head. There was no other option. What else could he do?

"Okay... okay... I'm a boss... I'm a boss... I'm a _boss!_ " He whispered to himself as he backed up and took a running start. He cleared the edge with a single leap, and suddenly, air flew in his face at a rapid rate. He was about halfway down before he reminded himself that he was supposed to land. Carefully, he guided himself over the trashcans, and with a short scream, landed chest first into them. "Holy crap... Oh Oum..." He stuttered under his breath, shivering from his latest adrenaline rush.

"Exciting eh?" Michael said, not even breaking a sweat.

"Exciting..." Jaune mimicked, his tone hushed and slightly in awe.

"Well, you're awake now, so the least we can do is get started. C'mon, were nearly at the park. Get the lead out and keep moving." Michael said, waving for the blonde to follow. Jaune took a deep breath, forcing whatever food in his stomach back down, and followed the merc.

They reached the park sooner than Jaune anticipated, and was surprised by how dead it all was. Broken, rotten trees stood limp and motionless in the dim sunlight that barely crept through barely intact, hanging branches. There was grass everywhere, yellow and speckled with dust and debris. There was no trace of life. No tweeting of the birds, or clicking of the crickets or call of the foxes. There wasn't even a smell attached to it. Just a deep void of silence.

"What is this place?" Jaune asked quietly.

"This place is where I was born." Michael said cryptically, his voice deep and raspy.

Jaune's eyes widened. "Wait, you were actually born here?"

Michael clicked his tongue. "Of course not, numb-nuts. This is the place where Michael Grey was born, replacing the boy who once lived here." Michael looked off in the distance, gazing at the trees as if they drew a certain memory to him.

"I'm not following." Jaune muttered.

Michael rolled his eyes. "C'mon now. Did you really think that Michael Grey was my real name?" Jaune was taken aback, though it did make sense to him after a moment of thinking. Surely, you couldn't pull this job off perfectly and make it out cleanly. Changing your identity was the best way to evade your enemies, and even your friends. Sometimes, it was also necessary to keep the authorities off your back.

"What's your real name then?" Jaune asked.

Michael spun on his heel, glaring at the boy. "Ask me that again, and I slit your throat where you stand." This time, Jaune bounced back fearfully. The tension and pressure this man gave off was so electric, he could almost feel it rattle his bones. "As of right now, until our four our combat session is done, you will not speak to me until I speak to you. And even then, do so in haste." Michael drew a silver, black edged katana in an agonizingly slow fashion, Jaune almost cringing at the metallic singing merrily as it awakened from its sheath.

Speechless, Jaune quickly drew his sword and deployed his shield, standing at the ready. He shivered as he adjusted his stance, getting straight into his analytical mindset.

"Get ready Arc, because here…" Michael narrowed his eyes, like a predator on prey. "Here is where you reclaim your life."

* * *

 _ **Hello everyone! Thank you for your patience! Sorry for the wait, you would not believe the work on my plate at the moment. However, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, if you did at all. Please REVIEW! It always helps and inspires me to write more! The chapter WILL come out earlier this time.**_


	10. Chapter 10: Where the forgotten lie

It didn't take very long into the battle for Jaune to feel the first edge of pure steel biting into his flesh. The enormous force behind Michael's every swing put a meteor to shame as they tore through his aura like a knife through paper mache'. The young man's footwork was incredible, blurring slightly, shaping his entire form and poising it for each strike. Multiple styles of swordplay coagulated perfectly with his art, making prediction of his moves nigh impossible. The first three strikes had been only glancing shots as they did not breach his skin due to his aura. The fourth sliced clean through his cheek, leaving a decent sized gash. The fifth on his shoulder. Sixth near his temple. Jaune lost track after that.

Exhaustion and fatigue choked Jaune. Hot bodied, skin moist with sweat, he couldn't remember how long they had been fighting. It felt like an eternity was passing him faster than a lightning bolt. Jaune didn't have time to correct his footwork as Michael lashed out constantly with the fury of a Grimm. A stinging pain filled sections of his body. Blood leaked freely from each wound, though Jaune didn't pay them much attention. Hiding behind his shield, his main concern was staying alive.

Bashing was the name of the game. Jaune knew that his strength lied in his uniquely skilled shield-play, and he used it to the best of his ability, warding off any potential lethal shots that Michael aimed at him. Occasionally, he would push in, forcing his body weight into the hit, and slamming into Michael's katana, putting a temporary halt to his aggression. Jaune would take a jab with Crocea Mors only to be stopped with a lightning fast parry, and would be put right back on the defense again.

Michael surged forward once again, this time completely forgoing Jaune's defense, slamming the butt of his sword directly into the middle of his forehead. Stunned, Jaune stumbled back, though found himself in the air, shoulder flaring with pain from a particularly brutal upward cut. He landed painfully on his back, dazed.

"Alright, warm-ups over, get up." Michael said, nonchalantly brushing his bangs out of his eyes. Jaune groaned, unable to move. Michael clicked his tongue. "Oh c'mon! Are you serious? Were not even past the second hour, and you're damn near dead!"

Jaune gave a raspy groan in response. As his body took a break, he could already feel his aura flow rapidly through his body, closing the majority of his wounds. In reply, his enhanced strength left him. The reinforcement aura left his muscles, weakening them, and making them tingle. Burning hot, and stinging, he sucked up the ball of spit at his chin, grunting and moaning as his body throbbed and ached.

It had only been an hour since his training began, and Jaune was already half dead. Michael's skill, grace and experience trumped those he deemed titans before. As much as it hurt to say it, Pyrrha in all of her strength didn't stand a chance of taking this man down. Hell, none of them did. Not even if they grouped up on him, attacking at all angles. The young man seemed to be doing that all by himself anyway. Knowing that he would be his training instructor was mind-numbing.

"Jaune, get up. Seriously, get the lead out." Michael said impatiently, prodding Jaune's shoulder with his foot.

"I can't." Jaune conceded.

Michael stared, gaze half-cocked, before grumbling curses under his breath. "Seriously? That's all you have?" Jaune couldn't look him in the eye. He already knew it was. Michael pinched the bridge of his nose, grumbling louder. "I can't believe how much of my damn time I'm wasting on you. All this bluster and promises for that shit performance? Oum above, I cannot _believe_ this."

Michael's words didn't hurt him. Words, insults and speeches of his own weakness was something that he was long used to, even before he illegally joined Beacon. However, what did hurt was the anger, and frustration in the once upbeat man's voice. Jaune didn't need to be an expert to figure out that the young mercenary was at his wits end. Patience must not have been one of his strong suits, and what was already thinned out had already stretched into a string. With a shake of his head, he whipped his hand up in a forgetful manner, and then sheathed his sword.

"I don't even know where to begin with you." He said in a low voice.

"Maybe by actually teaching me something instead of beating the crap out of me!" Jaune fired back, already feeling his own temper flaring.

Michael raised a brow. "Aren't I already teaching you?"

"What the he- no! You've been doing nothing but beating the ever loving crap out of me for the last hour! I would be dead right now if not for my aura!" Jaune sputtered angrily, clenching his teeth.

"Huh… I thought that was teaching, y'know?" Michael said, tapping his chin.

Finally at his wits end, Jaune stumbled to his feat, glaring at the young man. "Do you even know what you're doing?" He demanded.

"Nope." Michael replied plainly. Once again, it wasn't the word, but the inflection that bothered Jaune. It was so carefree and nonchalant that he had to question the young man's actual professionalism. The simple shrug didn't help either.

Jaune heaved an aggressive sigh, closing his eyes and cupping his hands over them. This was far from what he was expecting to deal with today. The harsh violence was one thing, but the ineptitude of his teacher. "Jeez, you're killing me man." He groaned. Michael shrugged again, and began wiping the small traces of blood off of his sword. After a short silence, Jaune finally spoke. "So what should we do now?"

"I have no clue."

"If I may suggest something."

Michael gestured loosely to Jaune. "Sure. Shoot."

"How about we go through a few drills? You could teach me your fighting style, and maybe I can build off that."

"No can do."

"Why?" Jaune asked impatiently.

Michael rubbed the back of his head, dull-eyed and bored. "Ozpin told me a few things about you. I was told that, and I quote from that old, smart bastard here, 'highly expressional and prone to emulation', and some shit like that."

Jaune raised a brow to his teacher's profanity. "Is that really necessary? And what would he mean by that?"

"Of course it is. I'm an adult, I talk however I damn well please." Michael said with what seemed like a savage pride. "In answer to question two, it means that you're a copycat. Not really much else to it."

"What? I'm not a copycat!" Jaune fired back.

"Sure you aren't." Michael replied sarcastically. "Listen, you may not notice, but you do this a lot. I can tell just from how you're fighting." Michael strolled around Jaune, gazing him up and down. "You have wide arc slashing and close range brutality of someone I might've seen on TV. That certain someone may have also been your partner." Jaune bit his lip. "Some of her maneuvers and strategies are prevalent in your style, though it's so broken. You're trying so hard to be her, but you're not. The same goes for maneuvers from others. Another being scythe movements of all things. Why the hell would you associate swords with scythes?" Jaune's gaze downcasted. "Jeez, were you really that jealous?"

"How can I not be?" Jaune said quietly. Michael opened his mouth to say something, though gave up. "What else can you suggest?"

"Well, I do have an idea." He said smirking. Jaune didn't like it already. "I did learn something from you from our little bouts. Your analytical skill is actually pretty damn good. I mean, prediction, anticipation, adaption, there all good with you. You learn pretty damn fast too. We can use that to our advantage. How about this, I will fight everyday with a different weapon and a different style. That way, it won't stick long enough for you to copy it, and you may learn a thing or two. You'll make your own style, and may actually do well for once."

Jaune nodded slowly. It did make sense. It was much better than just being another copycat. "Sure. I don't really know what else we can do." Weary breathed, he forced his sword up, and held his shield at the ready. To his surprise, Michael sheathed his katana, grinning sardonically.

"Turn your shield back to sheath form. You'll need that more." Reluctantly, Jaune obeyed, and held his sheath in hand. "Sheath your sword." Jaune raised a questioning brow. "Do it." Once again, Jaune obeyed. "Good. This is a swords style known formally as Iaido. I like to call it my favorite style." He drew into a quickdraw stance, his smirk growing wider. "Get ready. Set. Go!" The moment the sword flew from its sheath, Jaune anticipated a difficult three hours that he would have to deal with.

* * *

Lying on his back, Jaune counted the purple stars that danced around his vision. Skin burning hot, and muscles cramping everywhere, and gasping for air, Jaune knew that he wouldn't be active anytime soon. Exhaustion couldn't even compare with what he was feeling right now. He felt dead. Legitimately dead. Crawling into his bed and sleeping the rest of the day away seemed like a pretty good idea right now. Michael stepped near him casually, sheathing his sword, and taking the liberty of kindly sheathing Crocea Mors as well. He squatted to Jaune's side, that smug smirk still plastered onto his face.

"So, how was your first section of training?" He asked.

Jaune would have fired back sarcastically if he could get a breath out. Right now, he would have been surprised to speak by tomorrow. Though, crippling exhaustion aside, he was thoroughly shocked about the amount of combat he had learned just from fighting. The method was simply finding out what defensive route to take, than plan a counter. The style, and focus seemed to grow from there. So simple, yet so effective. His aura had gotten quite the workout as well. From what he could tell, no one could really teach you how to use aura. You have to find out uses for it yourself, and see how things go from there.

Jaune felt a not-so-gentle boot nudge his shoulder. "Alright Hero, get up. We've got some studying to do. Well, you do. I'm going out for a few drinks." Jaune gave a muffled grunt. Michael cringed, knowing just what those muffled cries meant. "Oh c'mon! I don't wanna carry you again. Once was enough. When I imagine drool going down my neck, I tend to think of girls, not girls pretending to be boys."

"Screw… off…" Jaune rasped.

Michael groaned, rubbing his scalp. "Dammit, this is asinine."

"Speak for yourself."

Michael clicked his tongue. "Fine then. If there really is no way to get us back faster, then I guess we don't have much of a choice." With an annoyed huff, he hoisted the blonde onto his back, picked up their weapons, and began his trek back to the bar. "If you droll on me again, I will tear your testicles out through your throat." He growled.

Jaune grunted back weakly. It didn't take long for Michael to find a proper trail. Another few minutes would go by before they arrived back into the underground city district where the bar laid. While on the way, Jaune couldn't help but question something that had been nagging him since the beginning of their training session.

"So about that first hour of training-"

"That epic flop on both our behalf's y'mean?"

"Uh, yeah. Exactly where did you get that crazy idea to teach me how to fight that way?"

Jaune felt Michael's small shrug from over his shoulders. "Saw it on TV once or twice. Seemed to work enough there. Rough'em up a little, and the knowledge just sorta… gets there."

If Jaune could have faceplamed, he would have. "You're telling me that whole 'getting the living crap beat outta me' was part of an experimental thing you saw on TV?"

"Exactamundo." Michael replied carelessly.

"And you don't see what the hell's wrong with that?" Jaune demanded.

Once again, a small shrug. "What do you expect? This is kind of a new thing for me too. Honestly, you're the closest thing I have to a partner who's lived this long." Jaune gulped, suddenly not liking his chances. "I'm a mercenary first, and a teacher… never."

"Oh, about that too-"

"Ugh, another-"

"Yes, another question. You mentioned you were part of a group right? Of rogues? Known as the forgotten?"

Michael gazed up dully, as if in remembrance. "Oh yeah, I did say something like that, didn't I?"

"Well, where are the other members?" Without a word, Michael stopped, going eerily quiet. An uncomfortable silence filled the forest. Even the air had slowed to a halt, fearing something horrible would happen if it were to break the silence. He turned around stiffly, then walked down just past the trail, carrying on for a few minutes before ending up a several oddly shaped stone piles.

Michael stood in a still silence, observing the stones. Jaune did as well, his curiosity of whatever they may be peaked. As his gaze pasted by the stones, he saw a pile of rusty, broken swords and armor, laid about in an oddly neat and formatted manner that he would not have expected from the rude and abrasive mercenary. The entire area felt dead. It took just another minute to finally get what he was supposed to see and he was instantly filled with dread.

"When?" Jaune whispered.

"Three days ago" He said plainly. His words seemed glide out of his inexpressive face. From the side, Jaune could barely get a good gaze at the young man's face, though he could tell from the side just how dead it looked. There was no remorse, or sadness, no pain or sorrow in his eyes. Only emptiness and apathy in those deep azure eyes of his.

"How?" Jaune asked carefully.

Michael didn't answer immediately. His eyes were plastered to the stone right in the middle of the seven, with an odd looking engraving on it. It took Jaune another minute to realize that there were seven headstones, each uniquely well embroidered and engraved professionally except for one in the middle, with seemed to have the finesse of a child. A name was roughly etched in the stone with what seemed like a sword.

 _Irene Kyle._ _Requiescat in pace._

"Who's that?" Jaune asked.

"She's… someone that I tried to forget." One hand left Jaune's back, and began fiddling with the snow white scarf wrapped around his neck. "But that doesn't matter now. It's over and done. I can't mourn too long. I have to move on and keep fighting. After all, that's just now this job works. I'm the last of the forgotten. And they… they are forgotten forever." Jaune bit his lip, unable to come up with the right words to say. An ounce of fear weighed him down. "That's another reason I don't want you around after I'm done training you. I don't want you dying too soon. Sooner than you have to anyway."

Jaune remained silent. Was this truly what the man was hiding? What this man had to deal with? Dealing with a job so dangerous that close connections were nothing but a liability? His lamentations only seemed to increase when he thought of his friends and family. If he kept up this life for too long, would they suffer for it? Would he see their gravestones strewn about, forgotten while he continued on, dead inside?

"All I really can do is know the truth." Michael said in a low voice.

"Which is?"

"In the end, when I finally pass, I'm going to end up right here, in these piles of ashes and stones, forgotten from time." Unable to look, Jaune shifted his gaze, eyes stinging. "Thanks for reminding me about them. I forgot to pay my respects today." Gratitude wasn't what he would describe in Michael's dullest tone, though Jaune took it as it was. "Hopefully, you won't end up here too…" With that, he pivoted on his heel and got back onto the trail, leaving Jaune with barely enough time to memorize the names. He could only get three off the bat. Irene Kyle, Gerald Oak, and Niles Cassias. Those names would be etched in his head just like those gravestones.

It didn't take long from there to reach the bar. They were both silent throughout the trip back. Once they had arrived, Michael opened Jaune's door, and all but tossed him in, making the blonde land painfully on the floor.

"Was that really necessary?" Jaune whined. Michael just shrugged, and tossed a bunch of textbooks his way.

"Get studying. I'll see you in two hours where we'll meditate. It'll heal your body and improve your aura control. Trust me, at least I know full damn well that works." Michael said. Jaune didn't have to argue back. One of his own team members, Ren, proved that to him well enough.

"I don't' want you goofing off on that photo viewer again either. You need to actually learn something."

"Okay _mom_." Jaune muttered.

Michael rolled his eyes at the young man's sass. "A lot of nice pictures you've got there though."

Jaune's blood ran cold. "You saw some of them?"

"Hell yeah I did." He guffawed. "Some of them were cute, others were just downright hilarious! I can you why you want to go back. That kind of life must be heaven."

Jaune gave a faraway smile. "Yeah, it was."

"I saw some of the cute girls on your viewer too. Some of them are pretty hot, I gotta say. Especially the blonde! She's got quite the nice rack on her." Michael said deviously.

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Don't bother."

"Aw, she's taken?"

"Nope, her father won't allow it."

"Ah , it wouldn't be the first time I've dealt with that problem." Michael said, waving a nonchalant hand.

"I…. wait, you did what now?"

Michael snorted. "Are you sure you want any more details that that?" Jaune furiously shook his head. "Good boy. Now are there any other reasons?"

"Well, she's not interested… and she's underage. Hell, all of us are."

"Aw, dammit. Figures." Michael with a hefty sigh.

"By the way, I've never asked this-"

"Trust me, I'm sure you have once before. I just chose not to answer." Michael said impatiently.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-two." Michael said.

Jaune cocked a brow. "Really? That young?"

"What, were you expecting a geezer?"

"No, I just… though you were a little older."

This was the perfect example of the eyes being the windows to a soul hardened and not easily broken. A soul with maturity, grace, and the will to live. Those eyes were of someone that was much older, and much more heartless. The body did fit the age though. His tall, muscular, young body, and tousled, messy black hair, and five-o-clock shadow gave the impression of a young, popular college student just getting to his next class.

"Ozpin did tell me that you were particularly close to one of them. The Blackette with the streaked hair, right?" Michael said.

Jaune's eyes widened. "How'd you know?"

"The way you're looking at her picture right now. I can just see it all over your face. Also the pictures don't lie either. Don't worry 'bout it though, I won't bully you much over it." Michael went to the door, and exited. "By the way, when you think about her, I left a box of tissues behind your bed. Maybe you'll find a better use for them than I have. Just make sure to clean up after yourself." He winked.

"What the- ew Michael!" Jaune whined, cringing.

Michael cackled as he slammed the door behind him, and walked off to snag a drink. Jaune was finally left alone with his thoughts. Books forgotten, he pushed himself up to his bed, photo viewer in hand. He lay, smiling blissfully at the pictures, a tear crawling to his eye as he remembered the forgotten.

What he would be when all was said and done.

* * *

 _ **And that ladies and gentlemen is what Jaune's gonna be dealing with for the next month. Please leave your condolences for our forlorn knight. Alright, I hope you all liked this chapter. Please review! It really means a lot to me. Thanks!**_


	11. Chapter 11: Bearing Fruit

The days passed by. Jaune could barely comprehend how fast time slipped by him. Through the ravenous combat, aggravatingly dull studies, and the exhausting aura control lessons, time became nothing more than an afterthought. The only thing that he focused on throughout all of this was his purpose. That, and his truly tough grit, kept him going as long as he had. It was beginning to pay off as well. Lessons became much easier, though much more complicated. Ways of espionage were taught to him, as well as traveling conditions, landing procedures, and much more elaborate combat maneuvers, of which he developed on his own.

The first week nearly killed him. Michael was absolutely relentless, fighting like a demon, keeping Jaune on his toes at all times. Most of his new scars had been accumulated from there endeavors on this week alone. By the second week, he had barely gotten used to things. The ever-changing weather no longer bothered him, and the combat maneuvers began to sink in. As Jaune grew, so did the forcefulness of Michael's training. On the third week, Jaune began to use his newly learned abilities to their fullest. Guns were useless against him now. His potent aura took care of that. And if it couldn't, his sharper reflexes could. On the fourth week, he began to fight back.

Nearly a month had passed now. He was reaching the final day before his first mission, something he had been looking forward to for a while. It would make all the hardship, wounds and lack of contact worth it. He could finally put the fruits of his labor to work, and show Michael, and the world for that matter, just how much he had improved. Though he would have to face one more trial before he could start…

"I have to talk to whom?" Jaune asked tiredly, sitting down on his bed after an exceptionally harsh training session.

"The old man. Or at least that's what I call him." Michael said, tossing a towel onto the blondes head. Jaune thanked him, and rubbed the salty sweat off of his face. "He wanted to speak to you personally. Something about the mission, I think."

"Awesome!" Jaune said elated. "When?"

"Eight tonight. Come alone he said. Kinda weird though. He never usually asks for private company. Too much of a paranoid douchebag." Michael said, lazily sitting next to Jaune. "Nice job out there kid. Must've busted through seven clips trying to hit you."

Jaune shivered. To think that a month with Jaune hadn't taught him that he wasn't exactly as fast as the young mercenary. Michael expected Jaune to be several meters away from each shot. In reality, Jaune spent nearly an hour with his head down, running through the forest screaming.

"Thank Oum you have terrible aim." Jaune said with a sigh.

"I don't. You were just that fast." Without warning, Michael gave Jaune a hardy slap across his back, nearly sending him off his bed. "Anyhow, when you dry your sweaty ass off, I'll get takeout. You want some?"

"Do I ever." Jaune said, getting up and walking to the door. "I'm so hungry I could eat a beo-wah!" His face hit the floor. He groaned. Tripping on his own bag? Really? He thought he broke past that already! Of course, his pride was further wounded by his partner-in-crimes constant cackling.

"Never change, Hero." He said, helping Jaune pick up all the spilt contents. Michael paused after he found something interesting. "Hello, what do we have here?"

"What?" Jaune asked. Michael revealed a small book with the Arc family crest on it. Jaune's eyes widened. How could he forget about that? How long had that laid untouched in that rucksack? Now that he thought of it, how long had it been since he looked through that rucksack period? Questions for later. "I don't know. I just sorta… found it there the day I got expelled."

"Well, this does have your crest on it. Are you sure you don't know anything about it?" Jaune shrugged. "Huh… Alright, hope you don't mind." Without waiting for an answer, he began flipping through the pages, scanning the contents. As he got further in the book, his gaze furrowed. "Wow, this is…" He flipped further. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw on a particular page. "I can't believe it… Holy shit! This is-"

"What? This is what?" Jaune asked excitedly, rushing over to stare over the young man's shoulder.

"Completely blank."

Silence.

Michael burst out into a mad cackle. Jaune groaned, taking the book from him. Indeed, not a single line had been written on. No streak or scratch in sight. "Great. Another piece of junk that I'll never use." Jaune tossed it over his shoulder, to which Michael appeared out of nowhere with that odd subdued boom sound, and caught it.

"Now hold on there, crackerjack. This could be useful." He flipped through the pages. "Obviously, you're still new to this. You could write down your experiences and shit here. Think of it as some sort of therapy."

"That just makes me feel worse." Jaune groaned.

"Don't worry your little head about it. Just trust me. 'Kay?"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Nope!" Michael tossed the book to Jaune, which bounced out of his hands and hit the floor. "To think those hands can catch a bullet, but not a book." He said smirking.

"Heh, yeah." Jaune said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Righto! I'm off to work in the bar! Go… do something."

"Do what? Michael, do what?" But Michael had already disappeared with a subdued boom. Jaune sighed. If there was one thing that Jaune hated about Michael, it was his Teleportation Semblance. From what it seemed, he could pop in and out of anyplace that he has seen, or in any random direction in a mile long radius. It was annoying, keeping an eye out for the young man to just fly in out of nowhere. Especially that one night alone in his room with his photo viewer…

That was a night neither would forget, no matter how much they wished.

Jaune shivered.

After cleaning up, and making sure everything was sorted, he took a quick shower, put on a regular black shirt and jeans, and walked into the bar. From there, he noticed the inhabitants were a little too interested in what was playing on TV. Naturally curious, Jaune stepped in to observe.

"This just in, the sidewinder has struck again. This is the seventh student taken from Beacon taken in the last month. Ozpin has refused to answer questions concerning them, though he has assured that Top Atlas investigators are on the case and are working round the clock. The name of the young girl taken is still unknown, though it has been revealed that her to be one of the younger students. That is all." The channel switched soon after that.

Jaune was frozen in shock. A younger student taken? From Beacon of all places? What was her name? It couldn't be…

Panic and fear swirled around him. His heart thudded in his chest. That couldn't be. Ozpin wouldn't let that happen. Please Oum tell him it wasn't her. His canine tooth had already broken the skin on his lip. Small drops of blood dripped down his chin. Michael stepped up from the long bar table, cleaning an empty glass.

"You alright, Hero? You look like you've seen a ghost." He asked.

Jaune didn't answer. He couldn't even move. What was he going to do? What could he do? His best friend could be…

His heart skipped a beat.

Faster than any bullet Michael's ever fired at him, Jaune rushed to his room, swiped his rucksack, shoved his armor inside, grabbed Crocea Mors and ran through the bar, pushing one of the men over. He didn't care. He had to leave.

"Kid, where 'ya going? Kid? Hey!" Jaune slammed the door on his complaining friend. Focusing carefully, he forced aura down to his feet. He kicked off, and rushed down the street faster than the cars around him. It was one of the first things that had been taught to him. While it was basic, and everyone else could still do it, it was useful. Anything that could get him to that airstrip would be useful. It wasn't long before he arrived, the airship luckily already there. Before he could rush in however, Jaune felt a hand on his wrist, and him being yanked back.

"What the hell are you doing?" Michael demanded.

"Let go of me!" Jaune shouted, tugging viciously, though to no avail. The mercenary's grip was too strong.

"Answer my question, and I'll consider it." Michael said, glaring. "No wait, don't tell me. Your little ass is storming Beacon, right?"

"What's it to you?" Jaune snapped.

"I don't have a problem with you going somewhere as long as you're back in time for training. Now, the problem does lie on the fact that you're going to Beacon." He sighed at the glare that he received. "First off, you're banned from entering the grounds. You'll be kicked out the moment you step onto the property. Fighting them off ain't much of an option either. I don't you can fight Ozpin if I can't even compare to him. What exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

"I don't know! I… I just… I wanna know if their alright." Jaune could feel the edges of his eyes prickling. "My friends are in danger and I can't do anything about it! Knowing is the only thing keeping me sane right now! They are one of my few purposes for fighting, and I can't go on thinking their…" He couldn't finish. He avoided Michael's gaze.

A silence followed. Michael's grip slackened. Jaune saw an opportunity. One good tug and he would be home free. That look in Michael's eyes told him he wouldn't meet too much resistance either. Though the young mercenary was right about something. What was he trying to accomplish? What could he do at this point? Nothing that Yang or Pyrrha couldn't do. Once again, he was helpless. This situation was above him. He hated this. He hated it so much!

Why couldn't he stop being so helpless?

In a spout of rage, he swore loudly before smashing his aura laden fist into the side of the airship, leaving a decent dent in it. The throbbing didn't bother him much, though it did get inflamed when it flew into the airship again.

"Stop." It was a simple command, though it worked its wonders. Michael didn't even have to raise his voice. Jaune stopped, standing at the ready. Michael fished into his pocket and pulled out a scroll. After a quick dial, he put it too his ear, waiting patiently. "Hey, Ozpin… Yeah he's doing just fine. A little better than fine actually… Yeah we heard…" Jaune held his breath. "Naw that won't be necessary… A name would suffice… That's good. Alright. Trust me, this'll be resolved soon… Good day to you too, Ozzy." He hung up.

"Well?" Jaune asked, heart practically in his throat.

"It isn't Ruby. The girl taken was a year older than her. Both the teams are safe."

Jaune's legs gave way. He leaned on the ship for support. Thank Oum. They were safe. They're all safe! It felt wrong feeling any kind of relief from this situation, but he couldn't help it.

"Satisfied, Hero?" Michael asked.

"V-very." Jaune sputtered. "I'm sorry… that won't happen again. I'll think next time."

"Good. Now pick your ass up. Let's get back to the bar. Know what, better yet…" Michael grabbed onto Jaune's shoulder, and all Jaune heard was a subdued boom before everything burst into a vast field of darkness. When the darkness faded, he found himself back in his room again, confused as hell.

"What the heck? How did-"

"What, you didn't think I could teleport you too? I'm better than you think I am Jaune." If that were true, then Michael must be the future second coming of Ozpin. Michael coughed slightly. "I think I should stop that though. Doing it too much makes me sick." Michael went to leave, though stopped at the door. "And kid… Don't worry. The helplessness will go away. You're at least good enough to hold your own now. Later, who knows? Don't change Hero. Keep caring, and don't change. And don't end up like…" He stopped. The look on his eyes looked… dead. He didn't even bother walking away. He simply teleported away, leaving Jaune alone with his photo viewer, and his thoughts.

* * *

Eight had struck faster than Jaune had anticipated. Then again, that went along with most things in his life nowadays. Michael had returned about an hour beforehand, looking slightly agitated. A scowl on that ever sneering face was never a good thing.

"What's up?" Jaune asked.

"Nothing, kid. Someone who's not welcome just decided to show up." Michael said in a strangely dark tone.

"Someone I should know about?" Jaune asked.

"How about no." Michael said bluntly. "Now hurry your ass up. You're gonna be late and the old man won't appreciate that." He seized the young knight's wrist, and dragged him down the hall to the door that was Jaune had never been in before. That strangely old, oaken door hadn't been opened once since Jaune had started staying at that bar. Jaune eye Michael confused. Michael glared and gestured to the door with a jerk of his head. Jaune shrugged and knocked hard. Almost instantly, the door was swung open, where a particularly tall and muscular man met him on the other side.

The piercing intensity of his green eyes was so sharp that Jaune couldn't bear looking him dead in the eye. The man had a roguishly handsome face, with small scars littered across it, and a mop of black hair spilling from his hood. He wore a cloak that covered his broad shouldered, and large frame. The man clicked his tongue in an annoyed fashion, then pushed past him, walking down the stairs into the bar.

Jaune gulped. "Who was that?"

"Our unwelcomed guest." He growled. "Go talk to the old man. I'll see you in your room afterwards. Don't follow me." With that, he stormed off before Michael could even get a word out. Who could that have been? Why did it seem that Michael hated him so much? Following him would be a death wish, so his options were extremely limited. Jaune shrugged, getting over it. What business was it to him? It was probably an old rival, or someone who was calling for a favor. He walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

The room was bleak and rather dark, with the only light being the remnants of sunset light peeping through the shutters. He could make out a shape in the gloom. A tall, gentlemanly postured balding man in a button up shirt sat in at his desk in the middle of the room. Rows upon rows of books lined shelves along the wall, and a closet and a bed lie forgotten in the corner of the room. Jaune took a hesitant step forward, then cried out as he tripped over the wheelchair in the middle of the room, and fell onto his face.

"I would appreciate that you don't break my things, there's a good boy." The old man said. He had the most distinct, elegant accent that Jaune would normally associate with someone from the Schnee family. He looked particularly older than Jaune would have expected, with slicked back grey hair, and wrinkles linings his face. The aura that he emitted intimidated him. It was like staring at a beast at peace, waiting for a reason to strike.

"Um, sorry." Jaune said nervously.

"Forget it." Jaune opened his mouth to speak, though the old man cut him off. "Don't speak, lad. Just listen. Professor Ozpin had put it upon me make sure you are alive. As much as I don't like dealing with children, I want the pay for this little escapade. You're very lucky Michael sees something in you or you wouldn't be leaving at all."

Jaune was taken aback. Child? What child? He wasn't a child. Who was he calling a child? "Is that the only reason I'm here? For your money?"

"Yes." The man said bluntly. "That is the only reason a mercenary needs to do anything and everything. I know the deal. Michael, other mercenaries, and yes, soon even you, would fight, kill, bleed, and suffer to get that one coin at the top of the hill."

"But I… I don't…"

"Soon you will. Otherwise, you will perish. There is nothing else to this." The old man said. "Michael told me quite a bit about you. He's called you Hero many times."

"Yeah, I guess." Jaune said, scraping his foot across the dirt.

"Abandon those notions quickly. I have known many mercenaries enter this world with that same notion. They thought they could save everyone. They thought they could be anything more than what they were. They all died. Painfully. Brutally. Live for yourself, and you will survive. Do not forget these words." The man wrung his hands together.

Jaune tightened his lip. Talking to a man like this was pointless. What would he prove? What could he tell the man that he didn't already think he knew? Jaune knew what he wanted. He knew what he believed. He knew what he wanted, and no man could tell him otherwise. The old man saw the grit and determination in the young man's eyes and sighed.

"Oh to be young, energetic and deaf to the words of the old." The old man said in a faraway tone.

"Is there something you wanted me for?" Jaune asked shortly, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

"Yes actually. One was that little ignored warning I gave you. Another was this message from Beacon." He said, raising a small envelope. Faster than the old man could blink, the letter was already closed in Jaune's anticipatory fist. The man raised a brow. "Excited, aren't we?"

"Yeah I am! How long had you had this? When did it get here?" Jaune sputtered.

"It arrived nearly two weeks ago. Michael had let slip to the blonde girl you knew in Beacon, and a week later, this came."

"And you didn't give it to me because…"

"The last thing you need are wasted wishes and false hopes. Michael doesn't seem to like you being distracted either." So Michael knew about this as well eh? Well, who cares? After several weeks of no contact, he would take anything. "Off with you then Luck be with you on your mission tomorrow." Jaune said a quick bye before racing out the room, and slamming the door behind him. He slid into his room, skidding to a halt at the foot of his bed, then looked happily at the letter in his fist. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to scrunch it up.

With a half-hearted shrug, he tore the envelope open, and took out the pure white letter inside.

 _Dear Jaune_

 _Hi, Vomit Boy! I'm glad we found you! We wouldn't have if Michael hadn't found Yang and hooked her up with a free drink from the bar you live in. He did say we couldn't visit you yet, but hey! Don't worry about it. It's only been a couple weeks, and I'm sure you can live long enough without us, right? Don't worry about us, were all doing fine. Your team's still refusing to get a new team member and Ren's taken over as leader temporarily. Nora's still threatening to break Cardin's legs, and I don't think Pyrrha's too keen on stopping her. Were all fine too. Still waiting for you to come back though._

 _Hey, I know things have been hard on you. Michael's training sounds brutal, though I bet you're much stronger now! I'm still rooting for you! Weiss things you're done for, but who cares? I know you can do it. Send us some pics of your missions!_

 _-Ruby Rose_

For the first time in a long time, Jaune smiled truly. He could feel his heart melting. The loneliness felt long gone for a moment, and it felt great. He felt hope and determination to keep fighting, something that was dwindling as of late. The real heart warmer was Ruby herself. To think she would actually write to him of all people. Someone who lied to them all, and hurt them. She truly was amazing. What would he do without her?

Jaune rubbed his chin. Should he write back? He ran around his room, opening every drawer trying his best to find a piece of paper. He managed to find on in his closet and a pen under his bed. He spent almost an hour staring at the paper before finally cracking down and writing something. It took nearly two hours before he was done, and was too energized to sleep, so he smiled at the ceiling until morning until he eventually fell asleep.

 _Clank clank clank!_

"Wake up Hero, it's time to go to work!"

"AHH!" Jaune screamed, falling off of his bed, and landing on his face. Not even two seconds in the day and he was already hyperventilating, drenched in cold in this state, he was half asleep. "Whasit? Who? What? What's going on?" Jaune looked up to see Michael, sneering down on him with a wooden spoon and a large pot in hand.

"It's mission time! Hell yeah, here we go! You've got ten minutes before I leave without you." Michael said, tossing his pot and spoon behind, and racing out the room.

Jaune yawned, rubbed his eyes, and finally computed whatever Michael just said. Something about a mission?

Jaune's eyes snapped open.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!" Jaune sputtered, getting dressed, tossing everything into his rucksack, and raced out the door.

"Sword!" Michael shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

Jaune stopped and ran back to get Crocea Mors from where it lay. "Where are we going?" Jaune shouted. Michael didn't answer. Probably didn't hear him. When he met Michael at the entrance, he asked him again.

He scoffed slightly. "Didn't want this to be your first mission, but I can't control everything." He ran a hand through his hair. "Hope you got everything packed kid, were going to war."

* * *

 _ **Battle lines up for Jaune's future! Hope the knight survives! Sorry for the wait, real life issues got in the way. Please Review! It helps a lot, and inspires me to make more.**_ _ **See ya!**_

 _ **PS: For all those asking me on PM, yes I'm accepting cover art. Just contact me through PM so we can start talking about it.**_


	12. Chapter 12: Sickening Trail

Buildings became dull blurs in the window view of the train. Not even the dull rocking and bucking could bring Jaune out of his focus. Even his motion sickness had been forgotten, which worried him much more than he would have ever thought otherwise. The start of his journey began in silence, and carried on the same way. No words were trades between the two young men. Jaune was aware of the pedestrians coming and going as they pleased, chatting so nonchalantly, knowing nothing of the brewing emotional hurricane behind the hero's eyes.

Jaune couldn't meet Michael's eyes. Despite his constant awareness of people around him, it seemed that he and the young mercenary were the only ones there. He could feel Michael's heated gaze on him, and even the twitching, paranoid twitching and shifting of his eyes, but he still refused to acknowledge them, and he knew perfectly why. He knew he green he still was. How new he was. The usual carelessness and casualness couldn't hide the concern and hesitation in his voice when trying to make small talk to the Hero.

War. Jaune hated to admit it, but he had been fearing that word. Michael had always mentioned how that one was the one job that was always to be expected when being a mercenary. A month of grueling, devastatingly difficult training had prepared him for this, but as much as he hated to admit it, he was still afraid. Death. Hardship. Nightmares. Enemies. Blood. All of it came with war. In all of his life, he never pictured himself killing a man. To cut him down without mercy or regret. To wash the blood off of his hands, and sleep well the next day. What would his friends think of him them? Would they be able to look him in the eye again?

After nearly five hours, the deep accented voice of his teacher breaks the silence. "Hero, you awake over there?"

Jaune grunted back, not bothering to turn around.

"I got a question… surprising, am I right? Usually, it's your little ass with all the questions, eh?" Michael said, nudging Jaune's arm from the seat next to him. Jaune grunted back again. "Who did you get those papers from? Your forgeries I mean? 'Cause I want to look this guy up myself. If I can get into a school with this much hot ass, I think nirvana would be coming early."

Jaune raised a half-interested brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah! He speaks! Oum above, Hero has a voice afterall! Oh please, young master, inspire and motivate me with your truly silky, lovely voice!" Michael said, waving his arms about. Jaune rolled his eyes, stifling a chuckle, and turned to his partner.

"What do you want, Michael." Jaune asked, managing a wry smile.

"Well… you know what, I'll just cut to the chase. Did you bang any of them yet?" Michael asked, smiling deviously.

"W-what?" A burst of red shot to Jaune's face. "What are you talking about?" A familiar object layed in his hands. His photo viewer? What in the- How? When? "H-how did you get that?"

"Oh, I pickpocketed you before we got on the train." Michael replied as if it were as simple as writing his name, carelessness and all.

"Do I even need to tell you what's wrong with that?"

"Will I care if you do?"

Jaune sighed in exasperation. Why did he even bother asking? Shouldn't he be used to this by now? Morality, subtlety, or even shame wasn't exactly a part of the young mercenary's code of conduct, if he even had one. Michael cleared his throat, and continued scrolling through the pictures, whistling quietly over a few of them. "So that's a no then?"

"What?"

"On the banging department? That's a no?"

"Wha- Of course not! They're not pieces of meat!"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Ugh… filthy virgin." he burst out laughing as the ever bashful teen had another layer of red stain his face.

"...So what if I am." Jaune said, shifting his gaze. "Mom always said I should wait for the right one."

"Ha! A momma's boy, eh? Okay, if that's how you like it, I'm not one to judge."

"Michael…"

The young mercenary burst out laughing. "Relax, I'm screwing with you. Keep to your little moral compass. Trust me, it'll get you a lot farther than it ever got me with a girl." Michael threw back his head, and stared at the ceiling, eyes distant in reminiscing. Jaune sighed, and shook his head. Without looking back at Jaune, Michael spoke. "So are you going to tell me what's wrong or not?"

"Nothing." Jaune shot back a little too quickly.

"'Nothing' doesn't earn me the silent treatment for a whopping five hours unless I messed something up. C'mon, you can talk to me." Michael said, slapping his partner on the shoulder, nearing sending him tumbling out of his seat. Jaune tried to speak, but the words caught his throat. Pursing his lips tightly, he looked away again, casting a gaze upon the blurring city. Michael furrowed his brow, then loosened them, and sighed, grabbing the last puzzle piece if the young man's plight.

"Look, kid, this is exactly what you signed up for. This job is extremely commonplace in our field of work. You can try and keep your hands and blade clean as long as you want, but eventually, they'll get dirty. It would have been this way even if you do get your old life back. All you can do now is accept this as inevitability." Michael said, his tone direct and merciless. That was the Michael that he knew deep down. As careless, and cheerful, as he may seem at times, a hardened professional always boiled under the surface. Though, the professional wasn't what he needed right now. Sympathy and understanding were lost to him. If answers and hopes couldn't be found now, he may as well get solace from knowing what he was doing.

"So, what's the game plan here?" Jaune asked.

"Finally! I was waiting for you to ask that." Michael said impatiently, with a roll of his eyes. As if prepared beforehand, he whipped a map out of his pocket, and unraveled it all in one fell swoop. Landmarks, ocean charts, kingdom borders, and locations that Jaune had never even seen before were laid out before them. After analyzing the map, Michael pointed down onto the kingdom of Vale's section. "So, we are here. The train should get us all the way to the harbor. Our destination is here." He whapped his finger a little too hard onto the far side of the map, nearly poking a hole in it. "This nice little island named Levita. It's ran by a Duke there. Our job is to protect him until the war is over."

Jaune tightened his lip, daring himself to ask. Words came out in a very dry, shaky tone. "What's the war about?"

"Well, a bunch of Faunus don't like this man's rule, so their fighting back. Pretty damn hard if I do say so myself. The conflict has gone to such a degree that its reaching the capital, of which were going to be stationed. However, one we get there, we'll have to split up. I'll be at the forefront of combat, while you will stay behind and guard the client." Jaune immediately shot up, stunned and relieved at what he heard.

"You're serious? I'm not fighting?" Jaune nearly squeaked.

"Huh? Oh, maybe not. Sorry kid. Couldn't really get you as much action as I wanted you to." Michael's usual nonchalant, carefree tone didn't bother Jaune in the slightest for the first time in what felt like centuries. While he felt cowardly for fearing warfare, he couldn't hold down the feeling of heavy relief. Leaning back, he sighed, smiling faintly at the ceiling. Michael either didn't seem to notice, or simply didn't care as he continued on. "I can already tell you right now, we're not going to make it there in under a day. So, I've arranged a little standby for that. A local extra client from an area known as Menagerie has offered us a place to stay as long as we take the job she has."

Jaune raised a brow. "An extra job? I thought you don't normally do that."

"I don't normally, but she was offering quite a lot of Lien for this."

"How much?"

"Enough. That's all you need to know. Anyway, after spending about a day there, we should be able to make it to Levita by sunset the next day." Michael finished, giving the map a whack with the back of his hand. "Then its mission start."

"Where is Menagerie. I don't think I've ever heard of it before."

"Thats because you're a sheep."

"What?"

"You heard me."

Jaune drew back, thinking hard for a comeback. "W-well, you're a sheep!"

Michael blinked. "I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that from a fellow, near-adult mercenary, and continue on with my day."

Jaune sighed. "You still haven't answered me."

"Do I have to?" Michael pseudo-whined.

"Michael!"

"Fine! Fine, alright. Don't get your panties in a bunch, Hero. Oum, you sound like a nagging wife." Michael shook his head, and mashed his finger down on the landmark of a tiny island in the middle of the deep sea. Jaune openly cringed at his actions.

"Quick question. That isn't our only map, right?"

"Yeah, of course it is. What numbnuts carries more than one map?" Michael said as if his logic was the most common, and obvious thing in the world. Jaune ran a hand through his hair, both too annoyed and nervous to prove him wrong. A particular jerk of the train made Jaune's stomach churn, and forced Michael's hands slightly apart, leaving the smallest of tears across the top. "Anyway, Menagerie is quite the safe haven for Faunus. No discrimination, barely any hatred, conflict is at an all time low, it's pretty much the place to be if you want some peace and quiet in your life. It's also a nice place to get some sweet, sweet tail."

Jaune found himself cringing again. He swore, he was trying to top Yang for terrible jokes in under an hour. "Anything to expect when we get there?"

"Just a whole crap ton of Faunus. Nothing else should be popping up. Hopefully. Were dealing with some snooty as hell nobles, so keep that in mind. Just mind your manners, keep polite, and be subtle when you're secretly flipping them off." Michael said, ending with a smirk. Jaune rolled his eyes for what felt like the umpteenth time today. Another harsh jerk of the train made his stomach lurch once again. He groaned, leaning over and clutching his stomach. Michael raised a brow. "You okay, Hero?"

"Ugh… ulp. When is this over?" Jaune moaned, cupping his face. The harsh rumbling and gurgling in his stomach was loud enough for Michael's trained senses to pick it up. He gave a sideways gaze at the blonde. Jaune panicked slightly, fearing the worst. He couldn't allow the words to come out lest he loses everything in his stomach.

"Kid, do you need a bucket?" Michael asked, brow arched.

"I-I!" The final jerk of the train broke his limit. Jaune bent over and emptied the contents of his stomach on the previously shiny floor. Passengers far and wide jumped back. Some squealed in surprise, while others simply stared at him like he had grown extra heads. Even Michael seemed taken aback, eyes widened and silent.

"It would seem so then." He said plainly. "Okay, motion sickness noted. I probably shouldn't have broken you out of that funk." Jaune turned and glared at him, maliciously trying to spit whatever disgusting muck was left onto the young mercenary's shoes. Naturally, it didn't make it even half way, and landed on his own shoes instead. Jaune groaned, clearly annoyed, though a particular, repeating lurch drove him out of it. "Oum above, if you're gonna be like this here, imagine the boat ride."

And with that, Jaune made another mess.

* * *

As expected, the boat ride left a lot to be desired. Not to the fault of the captain of the vessel, no, far from that. It was the blondes horrible motion sickness that left him in a perpetual nausiatic state, bent permanently over the side of the boat, counting fish and bits of cereal that he had eaten not too long ago. The taste was terrible. Breath mints could only sate him so long. Michael had made several trips to the captain's office in an attempt to make the ride smoother, though it ended up with him telling Jaune to grow a backbone, and going inside into the bar portion, presumably doing all he can to forget about the blonde.

After many hours of traveling and seasickness, black, jagged shapes lined above the horizon. Or at least that's what they looked like in the blur of his vision. It took a short while before his throbbing head remembered what an island was, and his purpose for being around them in the first place. Breaking away slightly from his constant nausea, he stared over the horizon line from the side of the boat, smiling wryly to himself. The wafting sea breezes, and the salty smell began to bring him back to the world of the living. The boat drifted by the islands until it began to slow at a particularly large one. Jaune was so happy and distracted by the view that he didn't hear the underwater boom of Michael teleporting in out of nowhere.

"Ahoy there!" Michael shouted, giving Jaune a hearty slap on the back.

Ulp.

"P-please… don't do that again." Jaune moaned, clutching his sore, empty stomach.

"Take it easy, Hero. Guess where we are."

"Heaven?" Jaune replied, thinking of dry, luscious land beneath his feet, and the ceasing of constant rocking.

"Well, depends on your interpretation. Do you have a tail on that skinny behind of yours?" Michael asked.

"I don't think so."

"Then this is akin to a nice vacation to a foreign country. Best mind yourself before the locals start scratching your eyes out." After the boat docked, and the passengers vacated, Jaune hoisted his pack over his shoulder, clipped the sword to his waist, and stumbled out. Michael pushed past him, nearly knocking Jaune over, and stretched. "Can you just smell the fresh air?"

"Mm hmm." Jaune replied, already feeling the effects of his motion sickness dwindling away. Jaune stood up straight once again, and immediately astonished by what he saw. What struck him first was how rural and natural it all was. The lush, green forests, houses that blended into the forest as it all belonged there. Faunus far and wide walked and chatted without a single care in the world. Prejudice and suffering, all of which he had been accustomed to in Vale, seemed nonexistent in this beautiful landscape. It felt like a sin for him, being a human, to bear it any witness. "It's so beautiful!" he sputtered, awestruck.

"It's absolutely disgusting." Michael said, smirking mischievously. "Let's move. Sundowns approaching, there's no time for sightseeing." Jaune noted that he was in quite a rush as he forced the crowd to part around him. Jaune struggled to stay behind him, and admire the beautiful town. As they pushed through the bustling city, he couldn't deny that burning feeling in the back of his skull. It was just as Michael had described. He was being watched. Not just by one, but by all of the inhabitants he was passing. Some of the faunus turned and muttered, others scampered out of the way, and some children even screamed and ran inside their homes. That drove a snigger out of Michael, though Jaune couldn't help feeling a little upset.

"You may as well get used to this, kid." Michael said, noticing Jaune's down face. "You forget, we're foreigners. And not just any foreigners, human foreigners. We may not think too much of that prejudice, but they do. Can't really blame them either. They all seem like nice people. They probably don't want outsiders stirring shit up, and wrecking the peace."

Jaune nodded. "And the children? I don't think they've ever seen a human."

"Probably not, but you know rumors. They probably think we're gonna eat them if we get too close. To their innocent little minds, were no different from Grimm." Michael said, though he trailed off. A dull, but somewhat tense silence followed as something he said obviously bothered him.

"Michael?"

"Eh?" Michael quickly fired out of his funk, giving a confused glance to the blonde, then quickly replacing it with his trademark smirk. "Oh, so long story short, don't stare at the locales, and keep the doors locked. Don't play to their animal weakness either. Also, no high frequency whistles. You will be hated. And killed. Whichever comes first" With that, the young mercenary sped up, nearly leaving Jaune in the dust. Working as intended, Michael warped his friends attention away from the crowd, and by extension, him and keeping up deftly.

After a while, they reached a house that looked slightly larger and much more developed than some of the rural looking houses he's seen so far. Michael didn't take enough care to knock properly, and just banged on the door with his fist. That definitely drew some unwanted attention. Jaune refused to turn around, already cringing. The looks were coming back…

Bang bang bang!

"M-Michael, could you stop that?" Jaune tried.

"Stop what?" The young man asked, pounding harder this time.

"That. The knocking. You're causing a scene." Jaune whined, pressing himself face-first against the house. He couldn't help it. He felt absolutely mortified. Despite him spending so much time with Michael, he'd never been with him in public, aside from the bar, and when they met. He had no idea how… outspoken and brazen he could be. Cares didn't seem to apply to him.

"I will stop once they open. The. Damn. Door! Aha! Here we go." Thankfully, the merciless mashing stopped as footsteps could be heard on the other end. What came out was a rather brutish, angry looking man with striking long red hair, and two red fox ears poking from them. The man was enormous, nearly taking up entirety of the large door frame from his height alone. Jaune shrank back, eyes wide, though Michael, in his usual careless fashion, gave a casual wave.

"Afternoon." He said as if he had never nearly pounded the faunus' door off it's hinges.

"I'm only expecting one person today, and you damn well better be him, otherwise my servants will be cleaning what's left of you off of my porch, do you understand." The man said in a vicious growl that, if possible, made Jaune shrink further to the floor. Michael stood unabashed, and smiling, offering a hand for him to shake.

"Your mailman's here, and he's ready for whatever you need." Michael said casually. Jaune rose again, confusion in his gaze. The fox faunus, however, paled and looked at Michael dazed, as if in a state of shock.

"Y-You're-"

"I am. Now can we speed this up, I'm starting to run low on time." Michael, tapping the imaginary watch on his wrist.

"You are… quite a bit smaller than I would have previously believed." the man said in a mix of surprise and weariness, with hints of gingerness as if Michael was an unstable bomb fit for bursting at the slightest provocation.

Michael rolled his eyes. "I am well aware. Not all of can make towers look like toothpicks when we stand near them. Now as I said, I'm short on time, so if you'd let us in, we can get down to business."

"Y-yes! Of course, please come in. And who's this with you? I wasn't aware you had a partner." The man said, eyeing Jaune curiously. Jaune nearly shrank back once again, though Michael bailed him out once again.

"Oh him? He's my partner. Make of him what you will… actually." Michael turned to the man. "Can I make a request?"

"Depends on the request."

"Can the little man stay for the night? Don't worry, he's housebroken." Michael winked at Jaune, who in turn rolled his eyes. The red haired faunus raised his brows. He opened his mouth to speak, though he was cut off once again by the lofty black haired boy. "Look, if it makes the situation any better, I'll be away for the night. You won't have to ever worry about him, okay?" After a long, silent moment of thinking, he turned to Jaune.

"Do you hold any prejudice, boy?" He asked firmly.

Michael rolled his eyes, and opened his mouth to answer, though Jaune was on the ball this time, almost offended by the man's question. "No. Different though you may be, you're still people, with the same rights that we all should have."

The man let out a bark-like laugh, slapping the boy hardily on his back. "Now that's quite an answer. No hesitation, no doubt in your words. Short and to the point. I'm already liking you. Now, go find my wife while your… partner and I discuss business."

"Yes sir." Jaune said, stepping past Michael, and entering their home. Immediately upon entering, he felt like he had stepped inside an entirely different world. Bright colored, wooden walls were carefully decorated with bright and colorful paintings. Light pooled in, casting the room aglow in its own natural orange light. Low tables, cabinets filled with some of the most ornate cutlery and plates he had ever seen, and a nice looking refrigerator filled the large kitchen, and a nice looking living room stocked with furniture of both classic and modern.

In said kitchen, a beautiful young woman dressed in a stylish, yet homey red dress, and silver hair with the cutest bear ears sticking out was cooking something that smelt heavenly. Humming a nice tune, she cooked diligently, not noticing the wiry blonde staring at her. Jaune took an experimental step. Somehow, it seemed to get her attention as she turned around, her tune lost. Jaune froze, eyes wide, though relaxed once he saw her radiant smile.

"My my young man, aren't you rather pale." She said. "My husband let you in I presume."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Boats don't agree with me." Or any form of transportation really. Curse his motion sickness.

After a quick observation, her ears twitched curiously. "You certainly don't smell like a faunus."

"That's because I'm not ma'am. I'm just a… well I… um…" Jaune broke off into his usual stuttering and rambling. The young woman narrowed her vision.

"You wouldn't happen to be with that mercenary that my husband has hired?" She asked.

"I...I…" Jaune hung his head low. "Yes ma'am." Jaune saw this coming. Not only was he a human, a veritable monster to these good people, but he was a labeled mercenary. A soldier of fortune, willing to risk life, limb and moral for whatever wealth people could offer him. The young woman stepped closer to him, and too his surprise, cupped the sides of his face, and it lifting slightly to face her. It didn't take much lifting as he towered over her.

"I don't see that in you." She said plainly.

"Excuse me?"

"You are not that kind of man. You aren't anything like your friend. You seem so… kind. I have seen my fair share of mercenaries come and go, but none had eyes like you. So fraught with hardship, and effort, but all for a reason and purpose that is more pure then I could believe. This can't be it for you. Can you tell me your story?" She asked, her voice soft and smooth as butter. It sounded like a voice only a mother could have. She drove the feelings of self-loathing out of him, and he was grateful for that, but he wasn't ready to talk about himself. Not yet.

"Sorry ma'am, but I can't." Jaune said, gentle pushing her hands away.

She tilted her head. "Long story?"

"I guess you could say that."

"It's alright. And please, call me Kisha. Please excuse Mako. My husband is very rough around the edges, though he'll get used to you rather quickly. Please make yourself at-"

"Ahh! A human! A human is attacking mother!" Jaune cried out in surprise as two little arms wrapped around his neck, and began tugging him back and forth to seemingly nowhere. Another little form rushed from the shadows and started beating away at his knees with a broom stick. Once the initial panic had waned, Jaune noticed that his attackers were a little too… small to be dangerous. Jaune looked at Kisha, nearly fit to burst from laughter.

Kisha sighed. "I apologize. My children have yet to learn the difference between good and bad humans. Kaito. Mimi. Leave him be."

The impish looking, red haired boy turned to his mother, confused. "He's not attacking you, mommy?"

"No my little pups. Get down from him Mimi, and make yourselves presentable." Kisha said, rubbing her forehead, looking quite exasperated.

"Yes mommy." The little girl dropped off of his shoulders, and stood next to her brother, whom had already dropped the broomstick. She stood next her brother and introduced herself. Kaito did same, with Jaune following suit.

"Now you must have quite a lot of stories to tell. Please, sit and eat with us. What is Vale like? Are their Faunus like us over there?" The curious questions flew out of the woman's mouth, with the two children joining in, making for quite a calamity that Jaune had already been accustomed to. Jaune smiled at the moment of peace with would finally get after so long.

***  
Dinner had lasted for quite a while. As expected, Michael wasn't there to join them, and Jaune couldn't be happier as the young man's eating habits left a lot to be desired. Mako had joined in as well, though he was still slightly pale and barely spoke. Jaune didn't understand that effect that Michael had one even the toughest of people. After dinner, he played videogames with the kids until midnight, and went to sleep in the guest room.

What had started off as a sickeningly terrible day and brightened up near the end. It seemed like it was all worth it in the end. He even learned that he wouldn't be in the forefront of the war, which drove his anxiety away. Most of it anyway. They even allowed him the best guestroom in the house, with a bed that made the bars bed seem like a lump of straw in comparison. Jaune was having the best sleep of his life until he noticed that there was a certain chill.

A draft maybe?

Jaune hoisted the covers further over him, still stuck in his half-sleeping state, hoping that he could gain some warmth back. Nope. Still too cold. The hot, stuffy bar room must have must up his sleeping needs. With an annoyed groan, he pushed himself groggily out of bed, and stumbled his way to the open door of the guest room.

Crack. Jaune's eyes snapped open, his finely tuned senses picking something that felt off. Was he being overactive? Someone must have been walking on the tatami floor just down below. Presumably a member of the family. With a small shrug he slowly closed the door, and walked back to the bed. He was nearly under the covers before he heard it again.

Crack. Crack. Crack. They sounded heavy, though at the same time, it didn't, almost like a midget walking with steel-toed boots. Instinctively listening carefully, he noted that there was a faint voice. It didn't sound like any member of the family. It didn't sound natural. Words could barely be picked up. He had to strain his senses to pick it up, drowning everything else out.

"Target aquired. Possible high aura level. Needs to be brought in for investigation."

Jaune gasped, fear creeping his system. Sidewinders? How could it be them? Why would it be them? How did they find him here? And what did they mean target acquired? Surely they were after him right? As far as he knew, he had the highest natural aura level of his age, so why weren't they launching a full assault on him? Wait… possible aura level?

The kids!

Aura already coursing through his body, Jaune raced out of bed, grabbed his sheathed sword, and sprinting out of the room, nearly shattering the ground with each step. He swung deftly down to the children's room, where a large hole in the window had already been made. The children were missing.

Jaune swore, whacking his forearm against the wooden column. With no time left to lose, he sprinted out of the house, and down the moonlit, corridor-like streets, letting his rapid-fire senses guide him. Almost ten minutes had gone by, and he was ready to give up and call for Michael until he heard them. The muffled screaming of the children. Letting the sound guide him, he found himself in quite an open courtyard, with a lone figure in the middle, holding two struggling forms.

"H-hey!" Jaune dared himself to shout.

The figure stopped. Jaune recognized the black and green armor. The dead, emotionless silent air about it, and the eyes. The old, red beams that came through a dome-like mask. The silver sidewinder crest...

"Analyzing… Combat record. Battle number three. Opponent: Jaune Arc. Former hunter in training. Current mercenary in training. Age: 17. Threat." The robot seized up slightly, carelessly dropping the children onto the pavement. Their wrists and ankles were bound, but they still looked fine otherwise. "Threat raised to moderate level. Suggest killing option." With that, the silver katana flew into his hand, and he held a proper position.

Jaune gulped. This was it. Everything he trained for led him up for this. If he couldn't stand up to a damn robot, how could he hope to continue on? Armor long forgotten, though full of grit and determination, he drew Crocea Mors from its sheath, and attached the shield portion to his arm. He bit his lip so hard, it bled. Scared didn't even begin to describe what he felt, but retreat wasn't an option. Help wasn't much of one either. It was just him.

He took a deep breath.

It was time to show the world what Jaune Arc could do.

* * *

 _ **Now, I know some of have been wondering where I've been. Well... I'm moving to a different country... so yeah, sorry for the wait.**_

 _ **Please Review!**_


	13. Chapter 13: Many Mistakes

When the steel clashed, Jaune felt no fear, no hesitation, not even his common anxiety that plagued him for years. Only nostalgia. After the first flurry, he remembered the first time he saw one of them, on that lonely street corner almost a lifetime ago. Seeing that collection of nuts, bolts, and machinery was something that terrified him once upon a time. Not even he knew what had changed. Now he saw an enemy. Nothing more, nothing less. Now, he saw that lives were on the line, and he refused to back away.

The young knight fought with skill he never would've believed he had. Strikes, flurries, counters and parries carried on between the two for quite some time. Balancing between sword and shield, he warded off the attacker, slowly backing him into the wall. When the metal-man's back hit the stone, Jaune gave a shouted loudly, giving a swift strike, cleaving through the stone along the way. The ever swift Sidewinder swiveled to the side, and stuck out with a jab which bounced off of his shield. He jumped back, and went into stance from quite a distance away, eyeing him carefully.

Jaune smirked. "That all you got? I swear you were all better than this."

"Agreed. Combatants data proves false from previous encounters. Carrying on this path will result in termination." The robot said. Jaune narrowed his brow. Something sounded off about the robots tone. It still lacked humanity, life, or any semblance of character to it, but there was something more. A shift in his tone, maybe.

Jaune turned and eyed the kids. They were still where they left them, forgotten by the exit of the courtyard. Thankfully, they hadn't been affected by the battle, physically at least. He even managed to further the distance between them. Good. He had to keep this up. The further he gets away, the better.

Jaune took a deep breath, set his stance, and charged again. Their duel began once again, blades becoming blurs as they clashed in the air. Parrying with his blade, he moved in to shield bash his opponent, only for the robot to practically vanish from sight, and appear to his side, a well placed side cut gunning for his ribs.

Holding his his shield firmly in front of him, he blocked the strikes. Then came another. Three strikes. Four. Five. Jaune clenched his teeth. The attacks were coming faster. So much more pressure was being added as well. Six. Seven. Jaune could actually feel the ground shaking, and even cracking slightly underfoot. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. A side kick smacked into the side of his shield, knocking it to the side and leaving him open.

Jaune swore. He tried to back up.

The green sword sheared into his shirt, and dragged across the flesh on his chest. Jaune's heart skipped a beat. He kicked back as hard as he could, and kept stepping back until he reached the center of the courtyard.

There was no pain. He looked down, jaw aquiver. There was a large slit across his shirt, spreading from the left shoulder to the bottom of his left side. An ashy outline showed him where the blade had reaped. He heaved a large sigh. His aura saved him.

"Spike in heart rate has been detected. You appear to be in distress." The robot said, looking Jaune up and down.

"Gee, you think?" Jaune fired back, shivering where he stood.

It seemed like in a split second, the robot had closed the gap between them. Jaune gasped, raising his sword and parrying the blade away. After shield-bashing the Sidewinder away, the robot surged forward again before Jaune could gain his bearings. Once again, he was trapped behind his shield, blocking and scraping past blow after blow after blow. Taking an offensive risk, he bashed the robot, pushed the pointed bottom into the robot's stomach, bending it, pivoted, and sent it sailing over his head. The Sidewinder landed gracefully on its feet, and looked only minorly annoyed.

Frustration built up in Jaune. There was not a single opening, no mistake, no error that he could exploit. The Sidewinder seemed always on point, and was improving every single time they clashed. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he got overwhelmed, if he hadn't been already.

Times like this made him wish that Michael let him carry a phone.

Where was the mercenary? He could already assume why others hadn't stepped out yet. It was a dangerous battle between a cold blooded robot, and what they would assume as, an equally bloodthirsty human. This must have been downright terrifying for them. Michael though? He lived for this stuff. Where was he? Enough ruckus should have been made for the entire island to hear him, especially on a quiet island. Jaune would've heard this from miles away here, so surely Michael, with senses far above his own, should have been able to hear him, right?

This was one of the times he wished he still had a team of his own. He would have thought his way out of this by now. He had his friends would have had this done and over with. Then they'd go home to Beacon, and live it up with their sister team. Jaune tightened his lip. The Sidewinder tilted his head, staring at him.

"Emotions on the battlefield now?" Random bits of number and data nodes flashed across the screen-like helmet he wore. "Clearly, you are still not ready for combat. You have yet to realize even the fraction of your true power."

"W-What true power?" Jaune demanded.

"The power of your birthright. A power beyond any pitiful Semblance. Nothing above my master, of course, but power nonetheless." The Sidewinder said, a tone finally setting in. It sounded … disappointed? "You have yet to realize this now. How unfortunate. We have no further use for you then."

The Sidewinder surged forward once again, bringing the green blade viciously onto Crocea Mors. The blade flew from his hands, and clattered onto the solid ground, useless. Jaune swore, raising his shield high once again. Blows rained down once more, slamming onto his shield with the force a truck, cracking the ground with each strike. One strike had brought the knight to his knees, and they still did not stop. Sweat coated him. His muscles were killing him, and he grunted from the effort of blocking each strike. One last strike and issued a large crater carving into the stone ground.

With one last croak of defeat, his arm gave, leaving his shield to clatter to the floor. His back hit the floor, his aura breaking away in a haze of white. The robot raised its sword, and Jaune shut his eyes, ready for the inevitable.

Shunk!

The unmistakeable sound of metal screeching through metal echoed through the dead courtyard. Experimentally, Jaune opened his eyes, widening them an instant later. A black-bladed, serrated, red-tinted machete had been jabbed through the robot's chest. It was ripped out, dragging Oum knows what with it, and a lot of black liquid that splattered across the stone below.

"What?" Jaune croaked, sitting up onto his rear.

The robot spun around, sword raised once again, though something, not even a blur that Jaune could see, flashed by. Two of them in fact. He wouldn't have known something had been cut if two of the robot's arms had not dropped off, and fell to the ground. A second later, the same happened again, and the robots head flew off in pieces, shattering before it hit the floor. Its limbless form practically shattered against the hard stone, where it lay unmoving. Wearily, Jaune looked up, spotting a familiar face that at the same time, wasn't so familiar.

Michael stood above him, his two machetes in hand, covered with an odd black tar. Apart from his hair being slightly mottled, and a collection of mud specks, and red stains littering his blue button-up shirt, and black jeans, he looked fine. His signature carefree smile was long gone. On his face was the gaze of the utmost professionalism, and alarming focus. Brows furrowed, eyes dark and slightly half-lidded, and jaw set firmly. His glare only worsened when he looked down on the young man.

"Kid…" He breathed. "You just damn near cost me my job."

"Uh, what?" Jaune asked, taking Michael's hand, and standing up. He winced. Yeah, he was going to be sore tomorrow.

"You nearly died. If I didn't step in, the residents will be cleaning what's left of you off the pavement." Michael sighed, ruffling his own hair. "Seriously kid, why do you just go charging off like Galahad at the first sign of trouble?"

"How couldn't I? Do you really expect me to leave those kids? Their kids. Not some random civilian that just got in the way." Jaune said, carefully brushing himself off. Michael stared at him for a moment, before shaking his head.

"You know what kid, everyone loves a hero." Michael said, head drifting back. "Their selflessness, drive, inner justice, passion, just about everything about them. Heroes are hard to come by, and are treasured by those that even they did and didn't save. But you know the tragic truth of heroes?"

Jaune shook his head, gulping, already not like what he was going to here. Michael turned to the young knight, his eyes stark, haunted and even apathetic.

"They are always the first to die, and the last to be missed."

Jaune's heart nearly stopped. The air felt dead to him as it passed by. An awful silence followed. The young mercenary's eyes made Jaune fear what was under the surface. The distant haunt in his eyes was prevalent. His heart waned. Despite his words and ideals, he couldn't bring himself to hate him. There was always meaning to his words. Methods to his madness. And even if he couldn't find it now, deep down, he knew Michael was right.

But Jaune didn't care.

Abandoning what he believed in felt disgraceful. Being a hunter so he could protect the people he loved, to get ahead in life, to finally get the respect he wanted from his family was his dream. What would be the point if he grew to be cold and heartless? A mission wasn't everything. There was so much more to life than that.

Jaune looked up at his partner. He didn't to say anything. His eyes did all the talking. Michael sighed, shaking his head. "Our positions been compromised. Were moving out tonight. I have your shit already. Meet me by the docks in ten minutes, or I'm leaving you behind." With that, he teleported away, leaving Jaune shaken and alone.

Heroes always die first, eh? Jaune shook his head bitterly. What has the world done to you, Michael? What could it have done to make him bitter? So alone? Distracted by his own thoughts, he didn't notice the small hands wrapping around his own. His heart nearly skipped a beat, though he calmed down once he saw the two faunus children staring back up at him, gripping his hands, shaking like little leaves. Michael must've untied them when he arrived. Their pajamas were dirty, and ruffled, and there was a small scrape on the little girl's cheek, but other than that, they seemed okay.

"I-is the monster gone?" The boy asked. What was his name again? Kaito? Yes, that's it. And Mimi was the young girl's name.

Jaune gave his best smile. "Yeah, the monsters gone. I made complete sure of that."

The kids did a quick look around before the crowded him, crawling up his body and clutching onto him. "Could you take us home?" Mimi asked. Jaune remembered the time limit he was stuck in. Then he realized he didn't give a shit, and nodded.

"'Course. Hold on tight." Jaune said, jogging down the street, ignoring the pain that his adrenaline left his body. By the time he made it back, several people had surrounded the house, with Kisha sobbing against her husbands chest. Jaune took a deep breath, then walked over to them, clearing his throat to make his presence known. "Special delivery." He managed.

Kisha slowly turned around, her eyes widening. "M-my children!" She nearly screamed. Kaito and Mimi scampered off of his back, and raised into their mother's waiting arms. Jaune pursed his lips. They were so happy. So relieved. They were shamelessly sobbing and blubbering, holding each other tightly like nothing else mattered.

Thoughts drifted to his family. How they all moved on without him. Only two of his sisters truly missed him. Two out of his outrageously large family, and how long before they forgot him too? Jaune felt worthless. A stranger in the midst of something beautiful. Someone who didn't belong. Wordlessly, he turned, and walked down the street.

"Jaune!" The young knight stopped dead in his tracks at Kisha's shout. He turned around slowly, nervous and shaking. "Thank you. Thank you so much! We will forever be in your debt!" Jaune stood, shocked and blinking.

"I never imagined a human would care so much. We could never thank you enough. I knew you were a man beyond your title." Her husband said, clutching his children tightly. "You are welcome here anytime. Many thanks to you!"

Jaune was still at a loss for words. After a short silence, he smiled to them and nodded. He waved to them, shouting his goodbyes before racing to the docks, where Michael was waiting, still scowling.

"Hey there."

"You're late." Michael said, though not nearly as cross as before. He must have finally cooled down. He raised a brow at Jaune's expression. "Well, someone looks happy."

"Yeah, I was… busy." Jaune said, his smile still apparent. Michael raised a brow, but shook his head and tossed his rucksack to him.

"Never change, kid." Michael said, slinking his own bag over his shoulder, and into the boat quarters they were staying in. It was standard enough, with just two beds and a clock over their heads, but Jaune's been through worse already. It was then that he saw Michael's current dress attire was a little… messy.

"Hey, what's that stuff all over you?" Jaune asked.

"Oh, this? Well, there wasn't only one snake on this island. About seven of them caught me by surprise, and attacked. It took me a while to wipe them out. Sorry for the wait." Michael said, nonchalantly.

"And the red streaks?"

"Well… lets just say I had to do something today. Something I'm going to be dreaming about for a while." Michael said cryptically. That look in his eyes…

Jaune dropped the conversation real fast.

It wasn't long before they cast off, and sailed into the distance. Silently, they both went to their respective beds, and lay there, staring at the ceiling. Jaune felt exhausted, but couldn't sleep. His mind swam with questions that needed answers, though whenever he would think to ask, he imagined himself being the Sidewinder that Michael mutilated, and kept his tongue.

"You lost today, kid." Michael said in a low voice.

"I know." Jaune replied shamefully.

"Have you learned?"

"Of course I have."

"Good. Then I guess it wasn't wasted. Lick your wounds later, we got other things to worry about."

Jaune sighed, and nodded slowly. "Got it."

Minutes of silence passed. Hours. Even the swaying and rocking of the boat couldn't affect the young knight. Jaune had enough. The tense silence was too much for him to rest. "Michael."

"What?"

"I was wondering something for the longest time now."

"Ain't that a surprise."

"Well, I don't hear too much about your family."

"That's 'cause I never talk about them. Normally at least." Michael said firmly.

"Well, what were they like? How are they now? Do I know any of them already?" Jaune asked curiously. Michael's head drifted back, bending back slightly over the bed, and he stared at the wall behind him.

"Not much to tell. I was born in a relatively nice neighborhood, with a little brother, and my dad. Mom died when my little brother was born. Dad too, not too long after. Poor sucker drank himself to death." He cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his bed. "Yeah, quite the little spunk train my little bro. I'd wager he'd be about your age now." He stopped, tightening his lips. Jaune could swear he saw his canine tooth peeking out, pressing hard against the skin.

"Do… do you mind telling me his name?" Jaune asked.

The air froze. Tension hung around the air, and left itself present, like a rotting wound. Almost a minute passed before he spoke again. "Niles. Niles Cassius."

And just like that, Jaune's heart sank to the bottom of the depths. Graves shot by his mind. The names still floated around his head, even after a month had passed since he last saw them. "I… I… Michael, I'm so-"

"Don't." Michael said, raising his hand. "Just don't. I've kept on this long without sobbing my eyes out, I can carry on a little longer. Just drop it." Jaune nodded, and silence once again consumed them. Almost an hour had passed, and Jaune began to wonder if the young mercenary had fallen asleep. He was about to do the same until he spoke again. "How about you kid? How's the trouble in paradise?"

"Huh?"

"Your family. I assume you have some, right? I mean, the Arc's are famous for their fertility." Michael said, smirking wryly.

Jaune decided to ignore that. "Well, I grew up the same as you did. Only I have seven sisters, and my parents are alive. Not much else to tell."

"That's it, eh? What's this I hear about a falling out with your dad? And before you ask, Ozpin told me the details. Don't ask me how he found out either. That mans just freaking scary." Michael said, shivering.

Jaune didn't smile. He couldn't. A reminder of the final night in his house came to mind. He didn't want to say anything, but then again, did Michael want to talk about his family?

"You see… I always wanted to be a hunter. It was a lifelong dream. And since my sisters excelled at what they wanted to do, I figured I could too. But, it didn't work out. I flunked out on all of my combat class applications. All eight of them. Even the handicaps." Jaune cringed just thinking about it.

"Yeah, sounds about right." Michael said.

"Well, I had enough, and I went to an underground dealer, and he got me documents for Beacon. It was a risk, and… of course it also didn't work out, hence me being here instead of there. But that wasn't the worst part." Jaune took a deep breath. "Well I told my family, most of them were excited. Most of them. Dad wondered where I got them to begin with, so I didn't have much of a choice but to tell him."

"So I assume he made you wish he whipped out the belt instead of what he did."

Jaune felt a hot prickling in the corners of his eyes. "He said I was a shit stain on the Arc family name, and told me to get out."

Michael winced. "Rough."

"You don't know the half of it. The rest is well… now."

"You know what I realized kid? We both have one thing in common. Something huge, actually."

"What?"

"We both fucked up. Hard."

Jaune burst out laughing. Michael joined in, rolling around in his bed. Of all the things Michael could think of, it had to be that. Depressing as it was, it was hilarious. Unbelievably so. Maybe because it was true. "Alright, kid. Time to sleep. Best not keep those nobles waiting."

"You betcha." Jaune said, bringing the covers up to his waist.

"Oh, one last thing. Thanks for the talk. I needed that. Even though every part of me wants to say otherwise. Thanks. Now get to sleep."

Jaune nodded, but he already knew he wouldn't sleep. His motion sickness was still making his stomach churn, but he didn't care. Michael may have shamed him, and gave him much more to think about, but the his words, and that of that family invigorated him.

They thanked him. They thought he was something he always wanted to be.

They thought he was a hero.

Jaune smiled, tearing up. If only the others could see him now...

* * *

 _ **Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Don't worry too much about me, I got to my new country okay, its just hell trying to adjust. The weather here is shit!**_

 ** _Please review what you think! It helps improve the story, me as a writer, and inspires me to write more! Thanks!_**


	14. Chapter 14: The Starting Point

_**Several problems kept me from making this chapter. Moving into a new country, settling in said country, and then the annoying bastard known as PROCRASTINATION.**_

 _ **My apologies.**_

 ** _Hope you enjoy._**

 _ **Also, sorry for all the errors, I was in such a rush to finish that I didn't reread it. They've all been fixed now, so hopefully this chapter's better for you guys.**_

* * *

Never before had time passed by Jaune so fast before. The morning quickly turned to afternoon faster than he could catch his bearings. Before he knew it, the boat had docked, and Michael was shouting at the young man to get off before he left him there. At first glance, he thought they had doubled back into Menagerie, but a second glance proved him wrong. Despite the beautiful forests, sandy beach, and calming waterfall in the distance, the town ahead was anything but Menagerie.

Ahead of him lied a city that reminded him of Vale. Large in scale, and filled to the brim with inhabitants all going about their daily lives, it was bustling with business and conversations. The city was surprisingly clean as well, and well maintained, and there were a large amount of Faunus in the populous. Michael nudged Jaune roughly, jerking his head towards the city.

"Notice anything?" Michael asked cryptically.

"Um, well, yeah." Jaune answered. "There are quite a bit of Faunus around. Then again, Menagerie's not that far away."

"Any idiot with eyes could've told me that. We'll try again later." Michael said, pushing past the young man, and carrying on ahead. "Keep up or get left behind, runt. We're already late as it is, and sightseeing's going to have to wait."

Reaching the client's house didn't take very long. In fact, he daresay the entire ordeal was one big gust of wind, it was so short. Jaune barely kept track of what he was going on, or who was talking to whom when he entered an estate that looked straight out of Menagerie, right down to the array, furniture, and design. Even the servants were all Faunus, oddly enough.

The overweight noble that was their client didn't keep them for long, only to discuss job details and nothing else. Michael stayed calm, composed and decently well mannered throughout the conversation, something that Jaune seldom saw. After they were done, Michael gave a curt nod, and briskly walked out the door, stopping just outside to look at Jaune, and jerk his head, telling him to follow. Jaune gave a more courteous nod, and followed his partner.

The moment they exited, Michael swore loudly, making Jaune's heart skip a beat. "W-what? What happened?" Jaune asked, spooked.

"Nothing, my bad, I just hate putting on shows for people like that." He spat in disgust. "Those nobles can burn in hell for all I care."

"You really hate them, don't you." Jaune said, leaning against the wall.

"Ah, the obviousness is strong with this one." Michael said sarcastically. "But yeah, they aren't that high on the favorite list for me. Probably 'cause I've dealt with way too many like him for me to like them at all."

"So... I'll be honest with you."

"Oh, what did you do now?" Michael shot in.

"Uh, I barely got a word of whatever happened in there, could you just relay that for me?" Jaune asked, sheepishly rubbing his head.

Michael sighed. "Of course you didn't. I guess the learning curves a little higher than I thought. Well, long story short, you're on guard duty for the client. Make sure nothing bad happens in the three days that it'll take for me to dominate this war, and you'll be right as rain."

Jaune scrunched his brows. "I couldn't sworn that wars lasted longer than that."

"They usually do. But take a look at this." Michael quickly whipped out his map, nearly ripping it once again in the process. He pointed down to a small section of land where a collection of red coloring was. "See this?" Jaune nodded. "This should be much thicker. I'm talking crimson, not a light pink. The color depicts the danger, and the amount of soldiers. This ain't a war, its a damn skirmish." Michael sighed aggressively, running a hand through his hair. "Quite a bit under my expertise, but hey, whatever gets me paid."

Jaune could understand that. The man was a little bit... spoiled for the better lack of word. It made him wonder if anyone had ever frowned at the man in his life. In fact, when he thought of a noble, he imagined a handsome, upright, well mannered man, though what he got was a pudgy, balding, cowaring man, that could barely get a word out in Michael's presence. Though when he spoke, it was in such disdain, and disregard for their existence that they may as well have been worms under his size six shoe.

"Are all nobles like that?" Jaune found himself asking.

Michael shook his head. "Not really. If I'm honest, I'd say most of them, but not all." He reared his head back, and stretched. "Well, Its been quite a long boat ride, time for a few drinks."

"Michael, were in the middle of a mission. Now's probably not the time to get hammered." Jaune said, crossing his arms.

"What time is it?"

"About three o-clock."

"Well, five o-clock was about twenty-two hours ago. Time for a drink." Michael said, grinning. Before Jaune could rebuttal that, Michael had already walked off, leaving him in his dust. Jaune sighed, and followed, wondering which out of the two of them were the real adult here.

* * *

Ozpin's days had gone painfully normal as the year progressed. Students were getting used to their regimines, the bad apples had been tossed out, and nothing of relative interest had occurred over the last month aside from quite a few pranks from Yang Xaio-Long. In hindsight though, he was glad he had decided to grab his third mug of hot chocolate a little later than usual, otherwise, he would have missed something that shocked him to his core.

On the small TV in the break room, the news channel was muted, probably from administraters getting tired of the local humdrum, a news artical nearly made him drop his glass.

 _Jaune Arc, local hero of Faunus._

Ozpin's mouth fell open. He fumbled around the dimly lit room for the remote, and unmuted it as soon as he found it. He was lucky to catch it just as it began.

"Reports have come in that the Sidewinder has struck again, nearly claiming two children yesterday, however a young mercenary who had just arrived that same night saved the two children, and drove the Sidewinder away. Before any questions could be asked, he and his partner had already left. His whereabouts, as well as the Sidewinders are currently unknown, however, if anyone does know where he is, please report it to this number." A random number shot onto the screen, ignored by Ozpin. "That is all for n-"

Ozpin switched off the TV, wringing his hands together. What on Remnant was Jaune doing in Menagerie of all places? How did he get there? How did he even know it existed? The old man shook his head. Michael was the obvious answer, that reckless, thoughtless man. What was he doing allowing him to fight? That...

That wasn't a part of the job.

* * *

Finding a bar wasn't the hard part. Getting Michael to stop drinking everything they had was however more difficult than beating Ruby in a race. Not even an hour in, and his head on the table, murmuring something about ducks and monster trucks, tipping his vodka shot back and forth. Jaune had gotten coke, and left it at that, knowing he'd have to carry the man out sooner or later.

A strong hand gripped his hoody, though it slackened. "Hero..."

"What is it?" Jaune asked.

"I don't feel so good." Michael moaned, cupping his mouth.

"Whose fault is that, then?"

Michael gave another weak moan before burrowing into his forearm, and furiously rubbing his forehead with it. "I'm not sorry."

"You are going to be soon." Jaune said, taking Michael shot glass away from him. He whined, weakly tugging on his sleeve.

"No! My acceptance juice! Give it back!"

"Why are you drinking so much anyway? You're gonna start being like Qrow if this keeps up." Jaune said, finishing what was left of his coke.

Michael gulped, cupping his mouth, and lurched over. Jaune rushed out of his seat, grabbed a nearby trashcan, and pushed it under Michael, who promptly threw up in it. The blonde could only pat his back, and help him spit whatever was left out. "Why do you think he drinks so much anyway?"

Jaune shrugged. "Because he likes to?"

"To forget and accept." Jaune drew back, not liking where this was going. While he did, Michael swooped in and yanked the shot glass out of his hand, and downed it all in a split second. "Think about what I'm about to do tomorrow. I'm going on another bloody battlefield, and I'm going to slaughter anyone in my path. I need this tonight."

"I... I thought you were used to this." Jaune stammered.

"You never do." Michael said deeply. He clutched the table, staring down at his empty shot glass blankly. No, not blankly. It was almost as though he passively hated what he saw inside the clean glass. He looked up at the bartender and waved him down to get another shot.

Jaune left him be, with nothing more to say than 'don't drink too much.' Though he knew that boat had already sailed.

The day had ended much as it began. One large blur that he could barely make anything out of. Everything had happened so fast that registering it was a waste of time. All Jaune could do was drag the wasted mercenary back to his hotel room that they luckily booked before the drinks, and put him to bed. He pushed the trashcan just below Michael in case his drinks coming back to haunt him, and settled onto the couch.

It felt like a few minutes had passed when a strong hand shook him awake. "Hero, wake up! Time to get rolling!"

"What?" Jaune groaned, shifting over slightly and looking at the clock on the wall. "Its four in the morning. What are we doing up at four in the freaking morning?"

"Time to deploy. Get up and get dressed. I want you ready in ten minutes."

Jaune's eyes widened. Surely he didn't mean...

"I thought you said I didn't have to fight!" Jaune croaked, trying to wake up.

"That was before our resident fat-ass decided that he didn't want you around. His words, not mine. He said he had enough guards, and didn't need a stringbean with a plain sword to keep him safe." Michael said, buttoning up his blue over-shirt.

Jaune's eyebrow twitched. Stringbean with a plain sword?

"I already packed some breakfast for us both, so get up and get moving." Michael said, already waiting at the door.

Jaune wasted no time showering, getting dressed, putting on his armor, and moving up to Michael, who had a breakfast bar in his hand. He would complain that he hated them, but took it lest he get another fist to his face. They walked out without a word, and it continued that way as they walked for hours on end, enjoying the view as they went.

However, as they drew closer to their destination, spires of smoke sprang up, with flames accompanying them. Every so often, they ran across a Grimm, attracted by the chaos and flames, and put it down before it even realized they were there. Michael kept his composure throughout the trek, somehow, but Jaune wasn't so lucky, practically shaking in his boots, always psyching himself up for the next step when he walked.

"Kid, if your not ready for this, just turn back now before shit gets real, okay?" Michael said, annoyed that he had to stop for the fourth time now.

"I am ready, I just..." Jaune trailed off.

Michael sighed. "I know. Just keep up. Think of this like a band-aid. The faster we do this, the faster we leave."

Night had come sooner than he thought, much like everyday these days. Before Jaune knew it, he was staring up at the night sky, on his back, waiting to go to sleep. He was hungry, but he couldn't eat. Michael wouldn't admit it, but he was doing the same. He started at the small fire he made, wondering what expendable thing he had right now that he could burn.

"This is the first time in a long time, y'know." Michael said almost to himself. Jaune gave a questioning grunt. "I mean being out here with someone. Its been years."

"Didn't you're team stay with you on missions? I thought you only lost them a month ago." Jaune said, propping himself up on his elbows. Michael went silent after that, leaving Jaune to wonder. "Michael, are you telling me the whole truth here?"

"Nothing but. You just have to find the right questions to ask." Michael said cryptically.

"Eh, if only you would actually answer them more." Jaune mumbled, leaning back onto the ground again, welcoming the warmth of the fire. Weeks ago, sleeping on the cold, hard ground would have been such a travesty, but now it felt like it was just another day in the prescense of his new life.

"Kid, I don't know what were going to expect tomorrow. I don't know if were going to survive without a scratch, or if were gonna die. Or somewhere in the middle maybe? I never could tell." Michael said, staring at the flames.

"Reassuring." Jaune quipped, trying to fight back the brewing feelings of fear. Out of habit, he picked out his photo viewer, and stared at his memories, smiling fondly, barely taking in anything that he was saying.

"I know. Wars like that. I can't change that, and neither can you. I'm just glad that..." He gulped. "You won't have to do this for very long. You have your life to get back to. You'll be strong enough by then... I think." Jaune rolled his eyes. Michael kept talking, though Jaune's responses were reduced to grunts. He had no idea what he was staring at, or who anyway, but whatever it was gave him quite a goofy, longing smile. "Question."

"Answer."

"What picture are you staring at?"

Jaune's face went a deep red. "Nothing that you need t-" One dulled, underwater sounding explosion sound later, Michael disapeared, the photo viewer was snatched from his hand, he was back in his resting spot near the fire, all in less than the blink of an eye. "H-hey!"

Michael nodded slowly, staring at the photo that made Jaune's heart flutter. "Planning on getting your jollies on when I get to sleep? Kind of weird, no?"

"Michael, give that back." Jaune groaned, not wanting to get up.

"So, the blackette with the streaks. What's her story?" Michael asked.

Jaune's head drifted back. "Well, she was the first person I met in Beacon, and she was my best friend for quite a while. Even now I guess. Hopefully she didn't forget about me." Jaune said quietly. Jaune kept talking, though Michael barely paid attention, and kept scrolling through his viewer.

"Damn, theres gotta be hundreds of these... oh hello" Michael grinned, finally finding something of interest. "Okay, I'm gonna be blunt here. You both haven't done the deed, have you?" Jaune shook his head, redder than before. Michael's grin broadened. "Are you sure?" He said slyly, hoisting up his viewer, revealing a photo that he actually didn't know he had.

The picture showed the same tree that they hung around, though Jaune was asleep, with Ruby laying on his chest, snuggled near the crook of his neck. Now that he saw it, fond memories returned. That was the day his team found him, swiped his scroll and took a picture of them when they dozed off. To think he hadn't noticed until now... Jaune chuckled to himself, and explained to Michael.

"What about you? Had any luck with ladies?" Jaune asked, already knowing the answer.

"Nope." Michael said nonchalantly.

"What?" Jaune piped, looking up at his friend in surprise.

"Okay, I take that back, there was Irene, but... yeah. Not gonna happen now." He took a deep breath. "She was the only one I really talked to. And..."

"Michael, you can stop if you want." Jaune said, seeing the pain hidden behind his eyes. He narrowed his on the blonde, though complied, staring at the fire again, and skillfully tossing his photo-viewer back over to him.

Jaune didn't hear a word from his partner after that. Presumably, he fell asleep, expecting Jaune would do the same. He would have too if a ringing scroll hadn't woken him back up again.

"Michael speaking..." Michael said in a hushed whisper that Jaune could barely make out. "Old man? What do you want? I'm in the... what? Now? You can't be serious, the kids right here... I... But you... ugh, fine. Just give me the name." Jaune could feel his partners gaze on him. Faking slumber had made him tense, though his back was turned to Michael, hopefully obscuring that. "Alright. The kids asleep. Give me an hour. Have you got a trail for me? ...Good. See ya." With that, he hung up. He sighed, and a subdued cracking told Jaune that he teleported away. Once the coast was clear, Jaune poked his head up, confused.

Where on Remnant did he go? And what did their boss want from him?

When Jaune woke up, to his surprise, Michael still hadn't arrived yet. It wasn't until about an hour later, after Jaune had remade the fire and made some breakfast, that Michael had teleported back, looking rather ill.

"What happened to you?" Jaune asked, brow raised. "And where were you?"

"Sorry, I scouted ahead, trying to find anything west that we needed, but no such luck." Michael said, grabbing a large protein bar out of his pocket and chowing down on it.

"When did you leave?" Jaune asked.

"About an hour ago. I didn't want to wake you. Pleasant dreams I take it?" He asked, giving his signature smirk.

"Oh you knew me so well." Jaune said, flashing a fake smile. If only he knew Michael half as well. Suspicious didn't even begin to describe what Jaune felt right now. He was actually wondering if he was the man he claimed to be.

"Anyway, lets go. Good job packing up. Glad I don't have to do everything around here." and with that, he picked up his bag, and walked on ahead, leaving Jaune glaring at his back.

"Just who are you, Michael Grey?"

* * *

 _ **Well, another chapter come and gone, and the other is already in the works. Hope you enjoyed. Review please, it really helps me out and inspires me to write more! Also, as a small request as I have gotten a few PM's on him, what do you think of Michael? Hope you all have a wonderful day, and see next time.**_


	15. Chapter 15: Taking Initiative

_**For fuck sake, this is what I get for posting at four in the morning! Yeah, I messed up. Heres the actual chatper.**_

 _ **Well, this chapter was a journey. Apoligies for the mini vacation I took. I wanted to enjoy my winter break. Hope you all enjoy this chapter, and hope you all had a merry Christmas!**_

* * *

Hours had gone by since they entered the forest district, and made marks along the trees, they had ended up walking around in circles, constantly doubling back to that same mark they left before. The boys argued back and forth for control of the map, with Michael constantly snatching it out his Jaune's hands, they both gave up, and stopped at a clearing not too far away.

Paranoid as he always was, Michael took a few rounds of recon, circling the clearing and keeping an ear out for anything out of the ordinary. Jaune, for that matter, found the perfect chance to relax. His partner would chew him out later, but he didn't care. This was him time, and he was using it.

Finally, peace at last. The grass under him was like a giant green pillow, curling and curving to fit his body perfectly. The air was crisp and clean, devoid of anything to pollute it. It was silent aside from the distant, hushed rustling of the wind drifting through the trees. The skies above were cloudless and tinted with orange, revealing the coming evening. Lying his head against the grass, a blissful smile in his face, he felt his eyes began to droop. Oh what he would give just have one little nap.

Jaune's eyes snapped open when he remembered the night prior, how Michael took off on the whim of a call. He was still confused on what to make of it. Or better still, what he should be doing about it. The fact that he lied to him didn't help Jaune's paranoia. Should he just let it pass, and go on with their business? Should he try to skirt around the issue, and get some kind of hint on whatever he was up too? Or should he just be blunt and ask him outright? What would happen if he fell asleep right now?

"Dude, where are you right now?" Michael called, snapping Jaune out of his thoughts, and tensing up to a seated position. His partner smiled down onto him, hefting a rather large branch over his shoulders, bouncing it up and down.

"In the middle of nowhere, with one of the few people who think east is north." Jaune replied, easing himself back down to the grass.

"Ooh, has the proud knight finally got a working flail between his legs? When did you get an attitude like that?" Michael asked, brow raised.

Jaune shrugged. "Maybe I've been around you a bit too long."

"Thanks, you're a real treat." Michael retorted. He laid next to Jaune, arms crossed behind his head, and stared at the skies. "I marked where we are on the map. We'll take a break for about an hour and head out, savvy?" Jaune nodded, took out his photo viewer, and started looking at his old photos again. Upon the first image, he frowned. Wasn't that the first one he saw when he first got it? He had to start making new ones soon. "What's up? Found something you didn't like?"

"No, just ran out of new photos." Jaune said.

Michael's face contorted into a playful smirk. "Hmm, I see. Why do you keep staring at them anyway? Hoping to find a shower pic of the blonde?" he quipped.

His smirk slowly died away when Jaune stared blankly at him, eyes half-lidded from annoyance. With a click of his tongue, he asked, "What is with you today?"

"I dunno…" Michael said with a shake of his head. "But you still didn't answer my question, Hero."

"I Couldn't tell you if I tried. Remembering just makes me feel a little at ease." His head drifted back a little further, and stared at the upside-down tree behind him. "I just like reliving some of these moments. Even some of the ones I don't like much. Especially my friends. They are the reason I'm doing this, y'know."

"Yeah, I get it. Friendship is a living breathing miracle for you. You're the largest care bear of the bunch, and want to spread that happiness and joy." Michael said, tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Can you just… not be a jerk?" Jaune asked with a sigh.

Michael tapped his chin in thought. "Mmm naw, that'd be too boring. Besides, having you around is kinda fun. Why not mess with you a little bit?" Jaune tilted his head towards the mercenary, raising a brow. Michael scoffed. "Yeah, never thought I'd hear myself say that, but yeah. It's pretty cool having you around. And here I thought I'd spend the next few months babysitting, but I guess not."

"Um… thanks. You too." Jaune said, completely taken aback. Who would have guess that the man who spent most of his time mocking and glaring at him could have taken a liking to him. The knight waited for some kind of sarcasm, or subterfuge, but there was none to be found, or none from what he could see. There he was, being nothing but genuine, and Jaune could do nothing but stare, completely thrown through the loop. Michael rolled his eyes, and clapped the top of Jaune's head, ruffling his mop of hair.

"'You too?' You couldn't have said something a little more, what's the word… heartfelt?" Michael said, smirking."I mean, I am pouring my heart out to you after all. What if I was that little cinnamon bun you like so much." Michael smiled at the results of his taunt on Jaune's face. Just like that, instant red. Like flicking on a flashlight.

"Wh-what? T-that's not true!" Jaune sputtered almost instantly.

"What did I say about talking like a man. Use your big boy words, dammit, your big boy words!" Michael snapped. Jaune knew he would start stuttering again, so he just stayed quiet. Michael chuckled, patting his head again. "C'mon. I see your face when you look at her picture. That's a look of love right there. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe not. Time will tell. How about this, I'll have a surprise for you when we get back."

Jaune gulped anxiously. Michael and surprises worked like oil and water. "What would that be?"

"Why the hell would I tell you? The purpose of a surprise is to surprise, right? Just wait and see." He took a look at his scroll. "Well damn, would you look at the time. We've been here nearly half an hour. Time to hit the road before nightfall."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me." Jaune said in a strangely quiet tone.

"What is it, Hero?"

"What are we going to expect in a few hours."

"Oh, yeah, the details." Michael said, almost as an afterthought. "So, accounting the info I got a few hours ago, the last of the faunus resistance is held up on some beach not to far from here. From the report, there's just under sixty still alive and willing to fight. Three of them are prominent fighters, and might just be a little bit more tough to deal with. Once we wipe those three out, and/or the leading general, we shout out for a ceasefire. After that, missions over and we go home." Michael narrowed his eyes on the boys obvious grimace. "Alright, what is it?"

"You talk about killing a guy as if your buying bread from a grocery store." Jaune said, appalled.

"'Cause it is that simple. A missions a mission. Be lucky we got here as late as we did, or we'd both have to wipe out a lot more faunus soldiers." When Jaune's grimace worsened, Michael sighed. "Look, if not killing means that much then I'll take care of it myself. Who knows, if all goes right, we might not have to do it at all. Now, in five minutes, I want you up and ready. Got it? Good."

Without Jaune's answer, he shot up, and brushed himself off, setting off a steady stride outside of view.

After an hour of silent traveling, they left the forest, and happened upon a rather large clearing in the a more dense part of the forest, where Michael raised his hand for them to stop, eyes narrow. With one small jerk of his hand, the boys crouched and treaded up a large dirt hill, where once they reached the top, they crawled on their bellies, keeping a careful eye on the horizon. Briskly, Michael reached into his rucksack and yanked out a pair of binoculars, and stared over the clearing ahead.

"See anything?" Jaune hissed.

"I see plenty, and I don't like it." Michael replied, tossing him the binoculars. Jaune looked down the sights, nearly cringing at what he saw. There, in the wide open clearing, was a collection of dusty, stained tents, ordered according to the uplifting dirty terrain, filled with stone walls that seemed lost to time. Faunus soldiers armed in some of the most ragtag, poorly put together Atlas tech, regularly patrolled the area. Each of their faces were marked with dirt and perpetual paranoia, staring cautiously around their environment.

They all seemed rather jumpy and twitchy. Were they expecting them? No, they couldn't have. Their trail had been well covered, with no trace of themselves left behind aside from their residual scent. With Michael's situational awareness and perception would have alerted them to any foreign presence as well. With that out of the way, Jaune tossed a little bit of caution to the wind and pushed himself up to his knees, where he could get a better view, ignoring Michael's glaring and hissing.

Still staring through the sights of the binoculars, he took quick note of the layout of the camp. He had to admit, he was quite amazed with himself. With a single glance, he took in where the enemy was, the land, the cover he would need, area of attack and even sizing up his chances of making it through. A trail through the camp in the most unobserved spots. Spots that the enemy were overlooking now, and that they would definitely overlook in the future.

Jaune grinned. He had an idea.

Michael dragged him back down onto his stomach, grinning as well. "I like that look in your eyes, kid. It tells me something good is brewing in that mush of matter in your head. You got a plan, 'cause I'd like to hear."

"Only if you're willing to try the non-lethal route." Jaune replied.

Michael shrugged. "Hey, whatever gets the job done. If it means I don't have to go through the trouble of hiding a few bodies, then you got yourself a deal. What've you got in mind?"

"See that large white tent over there?" Jaune asked, pointing towards it a little too far. His arm stuck over the top of the dirt hill, to which Michael swiped back aggressively.

"Yes, I see it. I can also us dying to your stupidity if you keep this up." Michael said through gritted teeth.

Wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible, he ignored Michael and kept on. "Well, that has to be the place where the leader is, right?"

"I suppose."

"Then maybe if we make it to him, and negotiate, we can avoid any casualties and walk away with the job done." Jaune said, smiling.

"Great plan, except it's not." Michael said bluntly. "First off, this army is in a last ditch effort situation where surrender is an option that shot itself and died at this point. Plus, do you really think they'll negotiate surrendering terms for two mercenaries, one who's still an apprentice no less? Last, how do you think we're gonna get there in the first place?" Michael tapped his chin. "But we could scare them if we capture their leader, and convince them theirs a larger force that'll wipe'm out at the slightest provocation.

"Can't you teleport us there?" Jaune asked.

Michael clicked his tongue. "Then you may as well be ringing the dinner bell." When Jaune cocked his head in confusion, Michael elaborated. "I suppose you don't exactly know how my semblance works. I am able to teleport myself anywhere that I can see, or remember perfectly. And it has to be within a miles distance, otherwise, I might split myself in half. Teleporting myself is just fine. No after-effects, no issues usually, just zap, and I'm there."

"So why can't you do it now?" Jaune asked, annoyed.

"If you recall, I make a loud boom every time I teleport. Trying to do that in the middle of a camp of hypersensitive faunus would be like ringing the dinner bell. Not only that, but teleporting a person with me would completely ravage my stomach. The second we arrive, I'd puke my guts out." Jaune did recall Michael looking really pale after their teleportation session a few days back when Jaune tried to board the airship. "The bigger the object, the worse off I'll be. Something to do with 'opposing aura signatures' or some shit like that. I don't know, I barely paid attention."

Jaune rolled his eyes. Of course he wouldn't. Going back to the drawing board then. Unless…

"I need you to call backup. How close is the closest ally battalion to us?" Jaune asked.

"There was one about a mile back. If I call them now, they should be here within seven minutes. Why do you ask?"

"Just call them. Trust me, it'll work. If I can secure a path, and make my way there, can you make it to me?"

Michael scrunched up his face. "I dunno… stealth was never my best attribute. If you can do it, then great. Me, I tend to be a little loud'n proud."

"How hasn't that gotten you killed yet?" Jaune wondered. "Anyway, if that's the case, leave it to me."

"Leave it to you? That's a phrase I never thought I'd hear… well then." He clapped Jaune's shoulder, smiling approvingly. "Here's hoping you don't fuck up. I'll be with you if you do."

The blonde smiled back, pushed himself over the tip of the hill and slid down it. Now crouched at the base of the camp, he rushed quickly behind the safety of cover, keeping out of sight. Before he could move on, a small rock bounced off the side of his head. He looked back up to see Michael with a black earpiece in hand.

He tossed it to Jaune, who in turn quickly put it in his ear.

"Testing. Testing. One, two, three…" Michael said through the earpiece. It didn't come out perfectly, sounding as if through a radio, but it was enough. Jaune flashed a thumbs up. Michael nodded back. "This is only one way. I can hear what you can. From the looks of things, you know what you're doing, so directing won't be an issue. Just be careful." Jaune nodded and started his little trek into danger.

At the camps base, he rubbed dirt along his clothes and the edges of his armor, disrupting his scent, or so he hoped. He slowly went prone, crawling across the ground in the way a snake would, weaving and dragging his body across the dirt slowly and carefully.

Memories of what he was taught came back. Just because Michael wasn't good at stealth didn't mean he couldn't explain it. How he explained it at first didn't make any sense at first, but he gradually got it with time. Blending in with the shadows, and into the very environment itself sounded complicated back then, but it all attributed to focus and patience, something he was happy to say he had gained plenty of in these past few months. It showed as he made his way through the nooks and crannies of the camp, flitting from cover to cover, unseen.

From an old barrel, to a wall some few meters away, to a small ridge that he could just about hide under if he went prone again, nothing was useless. He flattened himself against a wall, nearing the entrance to the leaders tent.

"Shit, to your left!" Michael's voice split the silence.

Before he could set off into the open, a faunus guard stepped into view. Jaune swooped in a bit too, and hit the tent right next to the stone wall, causing it to flap and deform. Jaune swore under his breath, hoping Michael was looking at him right now.

He heard the footsteps. The confused, suspicious faunus guard was approaching. Teeth grit, and mind racing, he weighed his options, which were limited beyond compare. The steps were right behind him now. His heart was in his throat, body coated with sweat. A flood of hushed swears pooled from his mouth. With one last act of desperation, he rushed out of the cover, gripping the faunus in a stunning headlock, using his other hand to close off his mouth and nose, and hauling the both of them into the cover.

The man struggled, his grip on Jaune's arm tightening to a penetrating degree. His tooth nearly bit through his lip trying to contain his cry of pain when a bear's claw poked through the surface of his skin. The man was strong, ripping, tearing and pulling from his grip, trying his hardest to remove the grip from his mouth and nose. Low grunts and moans escaped through his hand, but nothing else. Half of a minute passed. The man's grips slackened. A full minute, and he was unmoving. Jaune gave it a few more seconds before letting flop, unconscious.

"Beautiful." Michael said approvingly. It was quite nice when Michael was approving of him for once. Gave a change of pace.

He took a took a deep breath. It was over. He took a deep breath, and did his best to ignore the soldier he knocked out, pushing himself to his intended cover. A few more steps, and he reached his destination. The white tent distorted slightly from his over-excited touch, making him freeze in hopes that it'd set properly. It did sooner than he thought. A small sigh of relief drifted out of him. He was home free.

"You had me worried there." Michael said. Jaune turned to his direction and smiled in a 'as if you had to worry' fashion.

Then came the stress. The plan was simple in his head. Go in there, threaten the leader into a surrender, walk away without any blood on their hands. Sounded so simple on paper, but he knew it was a near impossibility. Unless he made it certain that he had absolutely no other choice. Plus, the backup he asked for still hadn't arrived yet. What could he do now?

Then sparked another idea.

Carefully, he snuck his way back to the unconscious soldier, and took the rifle from his belt. He stood up, and waved it in Michael's field of view.

"Okaaay, it's a gun…" Michael drawled. Jaune waved it harshly this time, hoping no one spotted him doing it. "Just what in the hell are you getting at? Do you want a distraction?" Jaune shook his head. "Okay… you want me to get one or something?" Jaune nodded furiously. "Alright, but why?" Jaune glared at the thin air, imagining Michael there. "Ugh, you're a bossy little shit, you know that… you want me to wait for your signal and fire off a few rounds?" Once again, Jaune nodded. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Jaune felt up the tent. The lining was thick. Sound with be difficult to escape from, with the exception of a few gunshots. Good. It there was going to be a struggle from the leader, then at least he could stop from alerting the whole crowd. With one last deep breath, he rounded into the tent, taking in all the sights.

Had he stepped into a room from a house in Menagerie? The inner layers of the tent were lined with art and stripes that he would associate with that culture, along with the elaborate, beautiful colors. A few boxes were stacked in the corner, a weapons rack next to it, filled to the brim with swords and axes. A small sleeping back was in the corner of the room, with one large table in the middle, with maps plastered to the top.

Jaune took an experimental step forward. Was there no one there?

"Kid, incoming. I think it's the leader."

Jaune swore, whipped up his hood, drew his sword, and hid in the corner. When the leader, a rather tall, broad shouldered ox faunus, stepped in, Jaune made his move, stepping quickly to his side, sword at his throat.

"Don't even breathe." Jaune hissed. The ox faunus froze, eyes wide. Jaune was lucky. The man was weaponless. With his free hand, he gripped the man by his shirt, and tossed him back out the tent. The very instant he stepped out, he ran to the downed leader, sword tip propped at his throat. "Call'em."

"W-what?" the deep voiced faunus croaked."

"I said call your friends. All of them."

"Kid, what in the hell are you doing down there?" Michael shouted through his earpiece. "You're out in the open! Are you asking to get shot?" Jaune ignored him.

The ox faunus called out loudly for backup, and the response was almost instantaneous. It started with three soldiers, than five, then seven then twenty. More and more soldiers lined up, shouting commands and aiming their rifles all for Jaune's head. In the mass chaos, the young knight hoisted the rifle over his head, and fired off a round, successfully quieting the many soldiers.

"Alright, now that I've got your attention, I'll cut right to the chase. I've captured your leader, and I now have him at sword point. Either we negotiate peace terms now, or I'll kill him now, and my backup kills the rest of you." Jaune said aggressively. There was a stir amongst the soldiers, some arguing, shouting nasty curses, and some straight up laughing at the absurdity of a young sounding soldier forcing an entire army to surrender all because they had their leader in the palm of his hands.

Perhaps now it would be a good time to make a little noise.

"Oh look, backups arrived." He looked up in Michael's direction, hoping he got the signal. Jaune was lucky that he did. A few seconds later, he heard gunfire from one side of them. All the soldiers drew into a panic, aiming their guns in random directions, shouting indiscriminately. A few seconds later, shots went off in another direction, and soon, another. "You have five seconds before we starting taking heads. Do I make myself clear?"

Jaune never fancied himself the violent, threatening type. He never believed that it was his nature, and he simply didn't have the face for it. Though from what the soldiers were seeing, they didn't believe it. They were all terrified in the focused, fortified, and downright merciless look in his eyes that he let out for all to see. A part of him wished that they could see past his facade, so they could see the young man underneath, struggling to keep himself in composed and assertive.

Needless to say, they all laid down their weapons, and went to their knees, heads down. A short bit of static cut through his earpiece before Michael spoke again. "Well, I called it in. Backup will officially be here in about two minutes. I snagged a radio, and called a local battalion about a click away. Good job kid… good job."

The wait was tense, but well worth it. Soldiers arrived, about thirty, moving in droves towards the surrendered camp. It wasn't long before the leader was gladly taken off his hands, and Michael appeared, Stiff-necked, heart pounding, and body aching, he pushed himself up from the crouch he was locked in for nearly ten minutes. It wasn't long before Michael shouted their leave, and helped Jaune walk into the forest.

Exhausted, yet exalted, he ran through the surprisingly short afternoon through his head. The plan worked. It had actually worked. Something off the top of his head had gotten through without blood on their hands. Happy didn't even begin to describe what he felt. Soon, he would be home, or if he could call it that, and this whole ordeal would be one big memory. If he could keep this up, the next few months would be a breeze.

Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. What had he done? What were these rebels fighting for? So many reasons. Freedom. Rights. A chance just to live a life. And that was just off the top of his head. He had just took his holy sword, and cut their ideals to ribbons, and burnt them to ash to save his own sorry ass. They would all suffer. They would all be enslaved, treated like animals again. He would never look Blake in the eye again.

Michael stopped them with a single wave of his hand. Not a single word out of him told him to stop, only his commanding aura. "Kid…"

"Not now." Jaune said shortly.

"Yes, now. That look in your eyes tells me I'm gonna regret not talking to you about this. Look, the missions done. You're a mercenary now, that's all you should be caring about. You're awake, and you're alive. Better yet, no kills. Good for you, eh?" Michael clapped him on the shoulder, only to be met with a glare.

"No kills is great. But I think I just did worse than just killing a few people." Jaune seathed.

Michael drew back, eyebrows knit, trying to workout the boys logic. Jaune only scoffed. Of course he wouldn't get it. This game had been played by him many times over. Numbing himself would've been the only way he would've survived in a world so cold. In his eyes now, lives were nothing but a statistic. A number that was written off as if it never existed to begin with. Money was paved with blood and misery on both sides, and, to top it off, he was perfectly okay with it. That alone was what he hated about him.

He just didn't understand.

With a short sigh, he turned to him. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I spoke with the locals, and the surrounding nobles. Even some of the rebels too when they were being taken away. Apparently, this was just a revolt to take over under the guise of being a crusade for equality." Jaune's eyes widened, stopping him in his tracks. "Oh, I have your attention now? Good. Don't worry too much about those rebels. The crimes I heard that they committed…" He took a deep breath. "You're gonna wish you had killed one of them."

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked, puzzled.

Michael ran a hand through his hair, struggling to find the right way to put it. "I try not to pry into my missions. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. But, for your sake, I decided to do a little digging. As it turns out, the old man's rule isn't that bad. There's no inequality issues, lack of pay, and things are going kinda smoothly. I mean, that guy's an asshole, but at least he knows how to run a community. After a little investigation, I found this in several parts of the camp." Michael shoved a patch in front of Jaune's face, of what appeared to be a tigers head with three red streaks through it. Wait… he'd seen that before.

"Isn't that the…"

"White Fang, yeah. It seems they were fixing on taking a vicious foothold in this island. I'd say we might have inadvertently prevented a crisis." One again, he clapped his shoulder. "Have fun knowing that."

Jaune would never admit it, and couldn't' explain how he of all people had managed it, but he felt reassured.

A few days had passed. The ship ride had skipped over Menagerie, and headed straight for the port of Vale. When they arrived, Michael picked up his scroll, texted something and waited. Almost a minute later, he received a text, and cheered, pumping a fist into the air. Jaune, still recovering from his nausea, asked what happened, but only got the cryptic answer of 'wait and see.'

Jaune began to worry. More often than not, Michael's surprises were a little more painful than pleasing. His warrieness only grew when they reached the doors of the bar, and the mercenary's grin grew. It wasn't until they got to the door that a few choice words from the person inside hit that paranoia with a train.

"You really need to shave, vomit boy."

Stunned beyond belief at the voice, Jaune couldn't believe it was real. He blinked. He rubbed his eyes roughly. Nope, his eyes weren't screwing with him. That was Yang. Yang was sitting at the long table right now, sipping on a strawberry sunrise, with his team in tow, smiling back at him. Ren turned in his seat, and smiled. Just smiled. And Jaune loved it. Nora didn't notice him yet. She was too busy chatting it up with the bartender, and by chatting it up, she was rambling to the confused man, probably too afraid to stop her for the fear of his legs.

Jaune was a sputtering mess, waving his hands back and forth awkwardly, throat caught. Words refused to come out. The excited knight didn't care. They were here. His friends were here! After a month of nothing but a letter, they were here!

He turned to Michael, who was grinning. "You were hitting it pretty rough, and you did do that mission pretty well, so I figure what the hell. Lets get some of your friends in here. You have a three day reprieve. Have fun." With that, he did a two finger salute, then teleported away.

Jaune turned back them, with the most goofy grin on his face. Only one piece was missing. Then he'd be the happiest kid in the world.

As if on cue, a red blur slammed into his chest.

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 _ **You would not believe the amount of rodeblocks this went through. Ah well, another chapter has been finished. Hope you all enjoyed, and please tell me what you think. Give whatever review or feedback you want. It really helps me out. Thanks!**_


	16. Chapter 16: A Little Peace

_**School is a bitch, you know that right? Final year of highschool, and no relent on work. I at least managed to give out this chapter before it gets too late. Sorry for the wait, hope you enjoy.**_

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Strange didn't even begin to describe the last few hours in that bar. Last month, he never would've imagined that he'd see his friends again, even catching a glimpse of them on the side of the street. Yet, here they were, gathered around a large circular table, bar vacated in the early hours thanks to a little prompting from his mentor, chatting nonchalantly as if he never left, something he had wanted for so long, but thought deep down that it was a foolish dream. But it wasn't. Yang, Ren, Nora, and Ruby were here right now, in front of him.

Sitting back, propped in between the chair and table in an awkward, yet comfortable, fashion, he stayed silent and let their questions flow over him. The rest of his friends were sitting at the round table just under him, all speaking at once, except for Ren, who had to decency to wait until they were done. He was barely paying attention. The past month was spent numbing himself, so this rush of emotion felt different, almost foreign. Was it a crime to be this happy?

Jaune managed to catch a small remark from Yang out of the madness. "Seriously though, vomit boy, you really need to shave."

"Huh?" Jaune grunted, stroking his chin, and feeling quite the stubble growing on face. He raised a brow. Since when did he grow facial hair? And this quickly? "I guess I never noticed."

"So, where've you been?" Ruby inquired. "We haven't talked in months, and we barely recognized you when you came through the door." For once, they all went silent, waiting for his answer, even Yang to his surprise.

"Busy as heck." Jaune scoffed. "Training, training and more training. Even on when I thought I have free time, I had to start training."

"Well, you aren't much of a stringbean anymore." Yang said smirking, looking him up and down. Ruby exchanged glances with her sister, who wriggled her eyebrows towards her. The reapers face went red, and she glared at her sister. Jaune, of course, sat completely oblivious to whatever what happening.

"And your training sessions?" Ren asked.

"Oh, that." Jaune said as if it were an afterthought. "Well, four hours of non-stop physical workouts, including form training, two hours of meditation and aura training, and the last two hours were… what were they… oh yeah, studying. Michael put a huge emphasis on keeping up my education for some reason." When he finished, he looked at his friends faces, mouths agape, and eyes widened. Jaune cocked his head. "What?"

"You're alive, right?" Yang asked. "Were not talking to Jaune the Friendly Ghost?"

Jaune snigged. "No, I'm very much alive tha-"

Suddenly, Nora shot out of her seat, screaming- "Ghost! Ghost! Ghost! Waaaahhh!" Everyone nearly fell out of there seats in shock. Jaune let out a similarly pitched scream as he fell between the seats, struggling to get back up. Seconds later, she was whacking him upside the head with… was that a cross? "Begone! Fie!"

"N-Nora! Quit it! That hurts!" Jaune complained, covering his head.

"Its not working Ren, its not working! Why isn't it working?" She screamed, shaking Ren so hard, Jaune could have sworn she somehow made two of him.

"Nora! He's not dead!" Ren said in his normal, calm tone, but that same tone reverberated in the building. "As you can see, he's still alive and well. Now can you please… stop shaking me." When Nora finally got the hint and stopped, Ren was on the cusp of puking his guts out. Huh… isn't that a twist.

"Glad to see nothing's changed." Jaune croaked, forcing himself back up to his position. "Could've gone an extra day without the bruises though."

After Jaune successfully repositioned himself, the bell at the door jingled, and Michael walked in, an odd smile in his face, and scroll to his ear. The way he spoke was… tender? Tender? Michael? What?

"Hey, uh, Michael?" Jaune called with widened eyes.

Michael's face scrunched, peace disturbed. "Hold on a sec," He said softly through the speaker, taking the scroll from his ear and glaring at the group. "Make it quick."

"Who're you talking to?" Jaune asked.

"None on your business, kid." Michael retorted, foot practically half out the door, and scroll nearly to his ear again.

"I'm only asking because I never heard that tone out of you before. You sounded kinda… what's the word… nice?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "If that's your attempt at hitting on me, then you may want to reconsider your strategy."

"Wait, I didn't-"

"'Course you didn't. See ya later kid." He gave one quick smirk before walking out the door again, talking softly to it.

Jaune groaned, running his hands through his hair. "I swear, that guy sometimes."

"So, you still rocking that onesie?" Ruby asked, propping herself onto her elbows.

"That old thing? Its gone. Honestly, I have no idea. I was out on a camp in the woods, training, and next thing I know, bam! It's gone. Michael said the racoons took it." He clenched his teeth, shaking his head slowly. "Those damn raccoons haven't seen the last of me." One day, he would have his revenge on the furry, mask-wearing bastards. One day. "Though, enough about me, what happened with you guys? I know it's only been a month, but anything change? Oh, and where's Pyrrha?"

"P-money's stuck at Beacon. She's got too much homework to leave behind." Yang said, leaning back against her chair. "Don't worry though, I'll give her your regards. Anyhow, not much has changed. Same old, same old I guess." She said, shrugging. She tried to play it cool, but School was wearing down on them. Through their moxy and casual attitude, he could see the dark shadows underneath their eyes, and sleep on their minds.

"Same old, same old is right. You're all still as tiny as ever." Jaune said, smirking.

Ruby snorted. "Maybe you need to lose some height."

Jaune raised a brow. "It'd be awesome if you gained some. How can you see over that table, crater face?"

"How hasn't your head hit the ceiling yet, vomit boy?"

With a subdued explosion-like sound, Michael appeared behind Jaune, clapping a hand onto his shoulder "Ooh, Cinnamon Bun's got some attitude. Got anything for that?"

Now, Michael teleporting in and out of places was something of a common occurance, so much so that Jaune barely registered any surprise. Needless to say, it wasn't the same for others. Nora and Ruby screamed, flying out of their chairs. Yang brought her weapons out, pointing them at Michael, gasping for air. Ren managed to stay in his seat, but ended up clutching his chest, trying to calm his heart.

"W-who? What? How the hell did you get in here?" Nora shrieked, clutching the back of her chair in fright.

"Mmm? Sorry 'bout that." Michael said, nonchalantly waving his hand as if this were an everyday thing. What was Jaune thinking, of course it was. "That's my Semblance at work their, young lady."

"Pfft, when you say it like that, you sound old. Aren't you twenty-one?" Jaune snarked.

"Twenty-two." Michael pressed, narrowing his brows. "Best not get snarky with me, kid, or you'll go the way of that onesie you once had. Up in flames."

Jaune's eyes widened in an odd mixture of horror and realization. "You said it was the racoons!" He whined.

"I've told you many things. Whether their true or not is up to your imagination." Michael said with his trademark smirk. "But I did have something I want to discuss with you. Alone if you can help it. Something regarding the day we met."

"Sure, let's go." Jaune pushed himself from his awkward position, and left with Michael, giving a short wave to his teammates, and entered the Jaune's room, just up the stairs. Jaune threw himself onto his bed, crossing his arms over behind head, and looked at his partner. "So, what's up?"

"This is totally out of the blue and all, but do you recall what happened after that attempted robbery?" Michael asked, leaning against the white plastered, concrete wall. Jaune wilted a bit under the young man's gaze, which shifted so suddenly from nonchalant to completely stoic so fast, the muscles in his face were probably just as confused as Jaune was.

"Well, I remember fighting the robbers, saving the people and then seeing a sidewinder for the first time. Apart from that, nothing." Jaune said.

"And the bus?"

"What bus?"

"Ugh, that bus that you somehow demolished in the middle of the street. The one that nearly hit that little girl? Getting any details yet?" Michael demanded, giving Jaune a small slap onto the top of his head.

Jaune focused. Small details were becoming clearer, but nothing cohesive yet. The bus could be vividly remembered now. Flames spouting out from every orifice, the front fender crushed and torn with random spikes of metal sticking out, and what was left of the hull lying on its side. It looked as if a train the size of a bullhead smacked into it at full speed. Anything past that was one huge blank.

That couldn't have been him, right? Sure his Semblance was still unknown to him, but that couldn't have been it. From what he had been told already, if it was, he would have known. It would have changed him somehow, but no. Nothing. Nothing about him had changed that moment. But he still remembered that intense burst of white light, a loud ringing, and the feeling of the fender brushing his gauntlet. He also remembered the numbness that came afterwards.

Jaune shook his head madly, then looked back at Michael, still confused. "What are you getting at?"

"Well, a month ago, I sent for a background report on you. For some damn reason, I've only now gotten it. That's the boss for you. Brilliant, but lazy as hell." He shook his head, sighing. "Anyhow, I was really interest in that heritage you got. Arc. The hero of heroes, people call them."

"Your point?" Jaune asked, getting more impatient.

"My point is that your family is famous for a reason. You all have an overwhelming supply of aura. So much so that the average longevity of your lifespans are often well over one-hundred. Sad to say, you'll probably outlive everyone in this bar if you stay alive." He sat down next to Jaune, showing statistics on his scroll. Jaune barely got a lick of whatever was on there, but he pretended he did. "Strength, speed, stamina, longevity, durability especially, all of it on average is better for your family, as long as you master control of course."

"Okay, so now I gotta focus on aura control. Good to know."

"Hold it there, crackerjack, there's a bit more. There's a special talent that only your family has. Something above a Semblance. I believe that the Sidewinders want you for it. Your family's gotta know something about it, so I say after our three day reprieve, we-"

"No."

Jaune's deadpan spooked Michael. That kind of directness was somewhat of an anomaly. "No? What do you mean 'no'? Do you see this shit? Imagine what you could do!"

"I don't give a damn! I'm not going back there!" Jaune shouted.

Michael narrowed his eyes on the knight, speaking deliberately slow. "Kid, calm down."

"I…" Jaune heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry." The thought of confronting his family again made him lean back onto his bed, and bury his head into his arm. He felt Michael's hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I know going back isn't something you want to do, but think about it. This could be the key to your potential. A once in a lifetime opportunity. You can't let a little grudge get in the way." He clapped his shoulder again, rubbing it reassuringly afterwards. "Think of it like ripping off a bandage. It'll hurt a bit, but it'll be over soon." With one lasp clap, he pushed himself up, and walked out the room, closing it behind him.

"Easy for you to say." Jaune muttered, muffled by his sleeve.

The knight had lost track of the amount of time he spent staring at the plastered white ceiling, counting the chips he saw. It was tedious and frustrating, but it was the only thing keeping her mind off the problem. That had always been his issue. Avoidance. It was something that plagued him even when he was a child. Anything that was too stressful for him to take was often not taken at all until he was forced to. Of course, this was no different.

The sad part was that he knew he couldn't avoid this for very long. Family was family. No matter what you did or who you were, it followed you wherever you go. Trying to run from it was like swimming around the world and back again, it just couldn't be done. He tried, but destiny has its own sick sense of humor. He met his sister in the middle of the street at random after all. There was no running, no forcing his way out. If he wanted to master this power, he had to suck it up and keep on going. Plus, it might be nice to see his mother and sisters again.

But was this really the answer? Jaune closed his eyes tight, growling in frustration. What if his dad still hated him? What if his sisters despise him too? He was terrified of that prospect. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't notice the door opening up again.

"Jaune!"

"Huh? What?" Jaune scrambled around the bed, and ended up falling off of it and onto his face. Groaning and cursing his way up, he saw Ruby leaning on the doorframe, an impatient pout on her face. "What'd I do this time?" he found himself asking.

"You kept us waiting. We did come here for you after all. Oh, and smooth landing by the way. Way to nail that fail." She said, beaming and flashing a thumbs up.

"Yeah, smooth." Jaune muttered, a ghost of a smile trying to phase onto his face.

"Are you okay, Jaune?" Ruby asked, picking up on his conflict immediately.

"Yeah, just fine." Jaune said, throwing out his best smile.

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Jaune, I know when you're lying to me."

"Rubes, I'm not lying to you. C'mon, cut me some slack." Jaune persisted. Hopefully, she would give up and leave, but half of him didn't want that. That half begged for her to stay, and slap some sense into his sorry ass.

Then that cute face of hers contorted into wicked sneer. Or rather, a pretend to be sneer. Of course, when things got dire, her true serious side would come out, but apart from that, she tried to adopt 'Yang mode' and be aggressive when she clearly had no idea what she was doing. It was kinda adorable, actually.

"Right then, you're coming with me?" Ruby said, trying her best to make her scowl as demanding as possible, but puffing her reddening cheeks out weren't really helping. She grabbed him by the hand and yanked him to his feet.

"So where are we going?" Jaune asked, letting her drag him down the stairs.

"To wherever you guys train." She said promptly.

Jaune sighed. Did he even tell them where they trained? "Fine, follow me."

When the left the bar and went on their way to the abandoned building he usually jumped from, Ruby tried to keep her hardest 'I'm going to scold you' face. Once they reached the building and made it to the roof, Jaune simply said "jump", and hopped off the roof. It was funny to think now that back then this used to terrify him. Now he could land it without a second thought. Ruby joined him shortly, landing gracefully on her feet. Ahead of them was the dead, rotting forest that Jaune and Michael had brutally trained in the last month.

Once they were deep enough, Jaune turned to Ruby. "Alright, you've got me here, so now what? We start training now?"

"We would but... " Her finger twirled nervously around her bangs. "I kinda just remembered that Yang made me leave my baby at Beacon." Jaune would have laughed if he didn't realize he did the same thing, leaving Crocea Mors in his room. "Well, on the bright side, we at least have a quiet place to talk."

"At least." Jaune muttered.

After a bit of searching, they found a large tree that had at least some life to it. The branches still retained their color and density, and some leaves poked out in random places. A collection of vines and ivy surrounded one part of it, making Jaune wary, but Ruby grabbed his hand, smiling brightly and dragged him down next to her. Sitting against the tree, they talked. And talked, and talked, and talked.

Jaune lost track of time, but he didn't care. It was just nice to feel human again. No training, no missions, no hassle, no nothing. Just hanging out with someone close to him. He had almost forgotten what that felt like.

"And when dad found out what Yang's ex did, he nearly the table out the window." They both burst out laughing.

"Whatever happened to that guy?" Jaune asked.

"I dunno! I never saw him again after that. Dad said something about him getting what he deserved for touching his little girl." Ruby said nonchalantly. Jaune gulped for some reason. What was this feeling of knowing he would have to deal with a similar problem one day? "Speaking of which…" To Jaune's surprise, Ruby slid down the side of the tree, and leaned her head against his chest, gazing up at him and smiling. "Can you tell me what's wrong now?"

"Uh… I um… uh... " Jaune was nothing but a sputtering, red-faced mess, trying to control his thudding heart. She felt so warm against his chest, instinctively making his arms disobey his mind and bring her closer to him, wrapping around her stomach and pulling her gently to him. He wanted to say no, but she had him tongue tied. He couldn't face her.

"C'mon, Jaune. It's just us here. You've got nothing to worry about. You can trust me." Ruby said, smiling growing. It was truly radiant, innocent, and full of concern."Please?"

And just like glass, Jaune's will shattered. "I'm… going home."

Ruby's eyes widened in a flash, nearly darting away off of his chest. "You're coming back to Beacon?" she gasped.

Jaune shook his head. "No, not yet. I mean I'm going back to where my folks live. It's a nice little town near Anima. It's peaceful enough, but I didn't want to stay."

"I figured, since you were at Beacon. Why're you upset about that? Aren't you happy to be with family?" Ruby asked.

"Family." Jaune said quietly. "If only. Dad doesn't see it that way, at least for me." After that, he told her everything. Absolutely everything. Right down to the dirty details of his cheating. Jaune kept his eyes shut. He didn't want to see her shame in him. He didn't want to see what she thought now of her wimpy, dorky, idiot friend. When he finished, he took a risk and turned to face her, but was shocked to see her face was neutral. No, she looked close to smiling again.

"And it finally comes out." Ruby said as if she had finally claimed something she spent months looking for. "Why didn't you just tell before?

Jaune scoffed. "That'd be a great topic to bring up back there."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You're a real dunce, you know that."

"Oh thanks." Jaune muttered sarcastically.

"Does it really matter that you cheated your way in? It doesn't to me." She said firmly. Jaune's heart skipped a beat. Before he could speak, she nuzzled a bit into his chest, leaving him a mess again. "Listen, we're your friends. We won't judge you. Is it wrong that you cheated your way in? Of course it is. You kinda hurt us in the process." Jaune gulped, gaze downcasting. "But I know you didn't mean to. You just wanted to help people, right?"

"Yeah. That's all I've ever wanted. And now I just want it back." Jaune said distantly.

"And we'll be right here, waiting for you." Ruby said quietly, almost sounding like a squeak. Almost like she didn't want anyone else but Jaune to hear. Her face grew red, and she hid it in her hands. He could just feel her heat crawl up his neck. It was about a minute before she looked at him again, albeit gingerly.

"One last thing… your dad doesn't hate you."

"What?" Jaune demanded.

"He doesn't." Ruby said simply. Jaune was about to contradict her, but she cut him off. "Let me tell you something. Did you know I hated my dad at one point?"

Jaune was taken aback. How could that be? They sounded so close together, closer than he and his father had been in a long time. Ruby saw this confusion, and chuckled to herself.

"Yup, it was quite a while ago though, back we me and Yang were younger. When… when mom died, he drifted from us. He supported us financially, but that was about it. He was lost in himself, and would barely speak a word. Yang took care of me most of the time. I hated him for that until I got older, and he moved on. Back then, I thought he hated us, but that wasn't the case. Just because he's an adult doesn't mean he's perfect. In the end, that's what he taught me. Parents make mistakes."

"You… really think that he doesn't hate me after what he said." Jaune asked wistfully.

"Yeah. Parents can get mad, but I know they'll never truly hate you. I'm sure your dad still loves you. Just give it a chance, okay?"

This was quite the reminder of why he favored her company above others. How should he put this… She made him feel good. That's all there was to it. They had their fair share of squabbles, but she understood him. She believed in him. She made him feel like he was at the top of the world. Something was behind it, but he couldn't point out what it was. He was just so confused.

"I… yeah. I'll try." Jaune said, smiling down to her.

"Good." She said, stretching out and yawning. "Michael said we could stay over for the night. We can catch up a bit more. How 'bout it?"

"Yeah, that sounds great. Lets go!"

* * *

Michael was a man of varying lives and lies. Ever since he was fourteen, his simple life had ended and off he went as a globetrotting mercenary, taking care of whatever needed to be taken care of to get by. He had taken care of such a variety of jobs that his experiences rival that of even a veteran hunter. But nothing could have prepared him for Jaune. Nothing at all.

The kid was a wildfire, unpredictable, chaotic, jumpy, and heartwarming. Just like an actual wildfire though, he was a pain in the ass to deal with sometimes. Michael had no idea why people were so attached to him. Was it his charisma? His dorky attitude? His determination to continue on despite the overwhelming odds against him? Who knows. Whatever it was, nothing could prepare this kid for what was to take place.

Placing his e-cig between his lips, he breathed in the strawberry flavoring followed with the stale nicotine, and puffed out water vapor and stress. Leaning against the wall outside the bar, he watched the vapor haze drift over him, wondering carelessly where it would go. Odd as it sounded, he was at peace. His chapped lips curled into a smile when his hand brushed against the silver ring around his left ring finger, wandering what awaited when this was all over.

The air went cold. Tension came with it. The vapor haze distorted more than usual in the air. Michael sighed. "You can come out now, Jason."

Out of the evening gloom, a towering man in a black cloak stepped out into the middle of the empty road. Black hair billowed out of the hood, with the man's body being broad and muscular, scarred with war and experience. He spoke in such a bass that Jaune could feel it in his chest.

"Have I become that obvious?" Jason asked.

Michael scoffed. "Your a six-foot six behemoth. How the kid can miss you is a mystery to me." the young man pushed himself off the wall, and glared at the man. "Showing up last month was a bad idea. I told you to stay far away from him."

"Please. What would I have done?" Jason asked, feigning offense.

"Don't feed me that Grimm shit!" Michael snapped. "You and I both know what you would do to him. Stay away. Far away. Or I might just start having to take this job seriously." his hand brushed against the hilt of Guardian, eyes narrowed like a predator.

"Fine. Starting a fight wasn't my intent for tonight. I only came to warn you that you can't keep this secret for much longer. How long to you intend on keeping this from him?" Jason asked rather condescending.

"As long as I can. If the kid can walk out of this not knowing a thing, we'd all leave happy. The less he knows, the more sleep I get at night. Just stay away, or die. Simple as that." He took one last puff before tucking his e-cig back into his pocket.

"Are you threatening me?" Jason demanded.

"Yes."

They both glared at each other, demanding the other to back down, but they stayed to their respective spots. Eventually, Jason shook his head and backed into the gloom without another word. Michael sighed, staring at the edge of the town. He spotted the Hero and the Cinnamon Bun, walking back, chatting nonchalantly. Michael smiled.

Things were going to get interesting soon. Very soon.

* * *

 ** _Ah, the plot thickens! I hope you all enjoyed. Please review, and have a great day!_**


	17. Chapter 17: Returning to the Hearth

The night was cool and soothing, easing the tension of the coming visitor. Leaning against one of the many lifeless, sap-stained, dirty tree, Jaune grinded his teeth, adamant about staying out here when he could be enjoying some nice company right now. Fingers curling restlessly around the ivy, he kept a hand on the hilt of Crocea Mors, ready for anything that the young mercenary had planned for him, if it was anything at all.

Why Michael called him out here so late at night was anyone's guess. In the middle of the party, no less. There was a nip in the air. Despite the tranquility of the night, and the quiet of the dead forest, it was easy to feel nervous. The light breeze quickly turned into a dull gale, rushing into him, making the hood of his hoodie whip and distort, and forcing him to close his mouth to keep the dirt out. Maybe he should have brought his armor. He grit his teeth, frustration building up in him.

When the hell was he going to get here? The call for them to meet was nearly an hour ago. Not long after he debated just leaving did a faint scent of strawberries fill the air, followed by a spreading, transparent haze. Jaune sighed. Here he comes.

As if on cue, Michael stepped into the clearing, E-cig still in his mouth, puffing flavored water vapor into the air. Jaune cleared his throat loudly, but that barely got any of his attention, a meer glance. Eyes half-lidded with exhaustion, he took out the empty cartridge from the E-cig, and fished into his pockets for another, but came off short. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, tossing the cartridge carelessly onto the grass.

"Dammit, I run through these things like copy paper." He muttered, looking up at Jaune, who was glaring at him. "Sorry I kept you waiting. I had some last minute business I had to take care of."

"That 'business' is taking up my night." Jaune said sternly.

"Yeah, whatever, down to business." Michael shoved his E-cig back into his jeans pocket, and straightened his black, ruffled button-up t-shirt. "First off, good job on your first mission. I admit, not my method of handling those problems, but effective nonetheless. Just realize that it probably won't work a second time." Michael scoffed briefly. "Not like you'd listen to me anyway."

"Hey!" Jaune complained.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a jerk. Great that we established that." Michael said, smirking. "I tried counting the amount of insults I give in one week, and I ended up staying up so late that I spoke dog the next day."

Jaune stifled a laugh, bringing his palm to his lips, to cover his smile. "Is there something you want, Michael?" He asked.

"As a matter of fact, there's something we need to discuss regarding your little trip to Anima to see your folks, and our predicament involving some snake with a bad case of child kleptomania." Michael said, crossing his arms over his chest, and leaning against a tree across from Jaune. The knight tensed.

"What happened now?" Jaune asked, in a low voice.

"Well, from the details I've gathered, there's been a significant amount of gangsters and thieves hiding under the guise of the Sidewinder, using his name to strike more fear into people. If I'm not mistaken, you've met quite a few at a bank last month." Jaune nodded, remembering that fiasco that occurred that day. "That is starting to die down though, especially since the Sidewinder's themselves have been inactive lately if you've been paying attention to the news."

As a matter of fact, Jaune has. Paying attention to the news was what kept him busy after training. Day after day, there would be some speculations on the Sidewinders, who they were, what they did, and what they were after. Most of them were theories, and almost all of them were garbage. Either phenomena that appeals to viewers, or thoughts that they were some kind of alien. None of them knew what he knew. The only useful information was the attack rate, which had lowered significantly over the last few weeks.

All in all, it was strange. Jaune could only hope that those who were kidnapped were still alive and well. Oum knows whatever was happening to them. "So, what does this all mean?"

"It means were lacking information, and they are probably planning something. Something big. Hopefully, we can stop it before it happens." Michael ran a hand through his stubble, eyes scrunched in thought. "Screw me for not figuring it out. Maybe what I'm about to do will remedy that."

"Wait, what're you doing?" Jaune asked.

"I'm leaving. Don't panic, it's only going to be for a week. There was a lead that received not too long ago. If this leads is right, we may find much more than just who's running the show. Trust me, this could be our only shot." Michael said, fishing his scroll out of his pocket, and concentrated on it. "If I leave within the hour, I'll be able to start early."

"So, what do I do in the meantime?" Jaune asked, feeling a little thrown out of the loop. "And why can't I come along?"

"Simple. You have your own quest to go on." Michael said nonchalantly. "And I don't think that this mission is suited for you, especially with your little moral compass." Jaune nodded slowly. So, it was that kind of mission.

"Wait a minute, won't the Sidewinders attack me when you're gone?" Jaune asked, suddenly worried.

"Yeah, most likely." Michael said almost uncaringly nonchalant.

"And that in any way is no problem?" Jaune demanded.

"Oh yeah, thats a big problem, which is why I want you to do something for me before I take off."

"What's that?"

Michael slammed his boot into the tree at his side, making the shake viciously. Brown, odd-smelling leaves rained around them, along with something dark and straight, which Michael deftly caught. Was that his old katana? A smile slowly formed on the mercenaries face. "I want to make absolutely sure you'll be able to last the week without me. In other words, fight me. And try not to die."

Before Jaune could even reply, Michael appeared in front of him with a dull underwater explosion of a sound, grinning madly, a brought his sword down. He swore, bringing the sheathed Crocea Mors up, and blocking the strike, letting the blade slide down the side, bring down a shower of sparks. His other hand reached for the hilt, pulling the blade from its scabbard, and slashing down. The blade missed the man as he teleported away again.

"A little warning would be nice!" Jaune shouted at nothing.

All was silent for the moment. Taking this time, Jaune strapped his shield to his arm, and quickly analyzed his surroundings. Trees and grass surrounded him, with a slight uphill terrain. Brown, crumpled, dead leaves covered the tops of the trees, perfect for a little stealth, especially in the deepening night. Jaune sighed. Maybe bringing his armor out would've been a good idea.

A multitude of dulled explosions sounds lit up the air. Gleeful laughter filled the air, whoops and hollering going with it. The knight's eyes darted across the skies, from tree to tree, branch to branch, any parts that were exposed, but he spotted nothing. Not in the ground, not in the trees, then where the hell is he?

That same explosion sound blared near him, along with the sound of the wind being parted. A flash of silver brought his attention to over his head. Instinctively, Jaune lifted his shield above his head, and a heavy amount of pressure nearly forced him to his knees. The dirt below him rose, the ground cracking and distorting, and small shockwaves of air flying from the impact point. Jaune flinched. How can one man be this strong?

He swiped his shield across and cut across the air, striking that instead of his mentor. He reappeared next to him this time, slashing in a wide arc. The katana met his shield, and launched him into a tree, nearly shattering the bark. Sparks of pain fired through his body, and he felt his aura waver. The sound of his Semblance split the air again, along with the laughing and jeering.

This time, Jaune was able to spot what he was doing, albeit with difficulty. The crazy mercenary was flipping, spinning, and teleporting through the air in random places, kicking off trees for extra momentum. He was quite the acrobat. With the sound of his Semblance echoing behind him, Jaune spun on his heel and slashed a wide arc, and met Michael's katana. Thus the trading of blows began.

Swords clashing, sparks flying through the air, both the boys moved at speeds that barely left a blur. Letting his instincts take over, he pushed on fighting with speed and power that he never knew he had, trading glancing strikes with each other. The duel continued for several minutes, and pushed them deeper into the forest. A boot met his chest and sent him into the tree behind him. With a battle cry, he charged off one more, struck air once more when his mentor teleported away.

"Dammit, will you keep still!" Jaune shouted, frustratedly smacking his shield against a tree. "Can't you just keep fighting, and not running away?"

The distorted explosion blared again behind him. Michael's rough, surly, deep voice spoke quietly in his ear. "Try me."

The katana's hilt slammed into the back of his head, sending him forward, grunting in pain. Before he could grab his bearings, Michael appeared in front of him somehow with his own speed, and jammed the blade across his aura laden chest. Blows rained down on him from different angles, hitting him every which way he could imagine. Finally, it ended with a strong side kick that sent him flying into a through a tree, and rolling painfully into a clearing.

Grunting from the pain, he propped himself up by his sword, and rose to his feet. Through the red blur that was his vision, he spotted Michael strolling leisurely into the clearing, grinning like a mad cat. That same grin was met with the worst glare he could possibly give. "Ho ho, looks like you've still got some fire in your eyes." He said mockingly. "Well then, get moving. Try hitting me as hard as you can."

"Fine." Jaune muttered scathingly. "I'll put you through the dirt."

No. Frustration wouldn't get him anywhere, especially with someone like him. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. It was then that his world slowed to a crawl. Details that he never thought of were made clear. From the speed and feeling of the wind, to softness of the grass underneath his shoes, to the way Michael's clothes curved when he swung his sword, no detail was left unchecked.

He paid attention to his sword, and noticed something along where the blade connect to the hilt. It was thin, and a little rusty. That swords seen plenty of wear and tear in its time. With one last deep breath, he tossed aside his shield, and held his sword in a two-handed grip. With one last scan, he charged.

He closed on him in the blink of an eye, but Michael was ready. With one good underhand swing, determined to end it with this last strike. And yet, Jaune saw it coming. From the way his clothes curved, and muscles flexed, he could tell what was coming. No feints, no teleporting, just that strike. With one precise strike, Jaune slashed down onto the base of the sword where the blade met the hilt as hard as he could.

 _Snap!_ The metal broke off from the hilt, and flew off somewhere into the forest. Jaune was able to catch Michael's shocked glance before he teleported away. Crocea Mors hit the dirt with so much force, the grass swayed violently around him in a complete circle. When Michael teleported back, Jaune readied for another strike, but Michael raised his hands, smiling pleasantly at him.

"Well holy shit, where did that come from?" He asked approvingly. "I can't exactly remember the last time I was ever impressed."

Jaune blinked, wondering what was going on. "Um… were done?"

"Yup!" Michael said nonchalantly, tossing the broken into a random bush. "True, I still didn't try my hardest on you, or else, I would have cranked out my machetes. That was just some old antique I stole from the bosses office." he chuckled ruefully, kicking at his own feet. "It seems my worst mistake tonight was underestimating you. I guess I can leave you alone for a little bit."

Jaune heaved a relieved sigh. "So, your off then?"

"Yeah. I won't be back till next week. Maybe I'll stop by and see someone nice along the way." If Jaune didn't know any better, he would have seen a ghost of a smile on his rugged face.

"I figured as much. Just have fun doing… whatever you're doing."

"And you have fun dealing with those little peeper over there." Michael said playfully, pointing a at a random bush not a ways off. An annoyed groan came from it. "Yeah, don't pretend I didn't see you. I'm actually more surprised you didn't want to join in." Out of the bushes came Yang, who looked both intrigued and disgruntled, taking leaves out of her hair and brushing herself off.

"I didn't want to interrupt you." She said, a smirk growing on her face. "You boys looked like you were having fun on your own."

"Yep, plenty of fun. After all, his ass was begging to be kicked." Michael said, proudly crossing his arms.

"Really? It looks like Jaune ended up kicking your ass."

"Don't know what'cha mean. The kid needed a confidence booster, and I gave it to him." Michael took a look at his watch. He smiled again. "Well, I'd better be off. It's getting late, and I can't keep my… client waiting." His right hand brushed against his left. It was brief, but not something to be missed by the young knight. "Have fun, and good luck. Also, if the other girls are interested, have fun storming their castles!"

With that, he teleported away, leaving Jaune flustered, and Yang bent over laughing. The knight was about to speak until the sound of his Semblance blared again. "Seriously, when I come back next week, at least two of them better be pregnant."

" _Will you get outta here!_ " Jaune shouted, practically radiating heat off of his burning red face. Michael cackled before teleporting away again, leaving them alone. "Jeez…" He brought his hand to his face and sighed.

"Trouble in paradise?" Yang asked, strolling next to him.

"If only." Jaune replied, looking up to Yang, confused by her smile. "What is it?"

"Just… wow." Yang said, running a hand across her bangs.

Jaune cocked his head. "What?"

"Just… I never thought I'd see the day I'd be impressed with you." She said. "You've changed, not just physically but... " She trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. It took a little bit for her to grab her bearings. "I was about to give up on you. A month's gone by and no contact, I thought that was it for you. The next day, I see your name on the news channel as a hero for some place called Menagerie. When we all heard it, well… it gave us a shock, I tell you."

Jaune nearly scoffed. He could barely call himself a hero after that ruckus of a night. "You don't know the half of it… wait. Since when was I in the news?" Jaune asked loudly in surprise, eyes widened.

"Since a few days ago. Everyone at the schools heard about it. Cardin damn near through a fit when you were getting more street cred than him. Don't worry though, I put him in his place." Yang said, flexing confidently. "After that, I just had to see for myself if that was just a fluke or not, so I found the card that Michael gave me, got Ruby, got your team, and raced off to find you. Now that I see you, I… just can't believe you proved me wrong."

"That good?" Jaune asked, giving all the bravado he could, though that couldn't hide the embarrassment, and nervousness he felt at that moment.

"Beyond good. You actually look like a good sparring partner now, _wink wink._ " She said, exaggerating a wink.

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll help you out, but not tonight, Michael really took it outta me." It only took until he stopped to realize just how much damage he took. Bruises and nicks lined his body by the dozens. Moving sent bouts of throbbing pain across his body. Trying to get back to the bar was going to be another battle entirely.

"Fine, we'll try it when you get back." Yang huffed, slapping Jaune on his shoulders. Jaune squealed like a mouse, reeling from the pain. That girl still hit like a dump truck. "In the meantime, let's get back. You kept all of us waiting so long that Nora's already asleep, and I think you need a to get some rest too."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea." Jaune said, sheathing Crocea Mors, and brushing himself off. "Race you back to the bar!" He exclaimed, running ahead.

"Hey! You know the way back! That's not fair!" Yang shouted, running after him.

The next two days passed by faster than lightning, though they were days well spent. Two days without his rigorous training sessions were difficult to say the least, but Ruby made sure he was busy. Most of those days were spent with her dragging him across each stall, and vendor in Vale, checking out the best weapons that they could find. Jaune had to admit, it wasn't his thing, but seeing that doey-eyed, puppy-like smile on her face made it all worth it.

It wasn't long before the break was over and Jaune was off at the docks, being seen off by Yang and Ruby. One look at the airship spelled doom for Jaune breakfast. Stockpiling on mints was the best idea he'd had all morning. The day was overcast, threatening rain, just what the blonde knight needed. That nip was still in the air, sending shivers down his spine every so often. Standing near the airship didn't help much.

The moment that the airship had achieved liftoff, an unpleasant lurch crushed his stomach, making him sprint to the nearest trash can, and let loose all of his breakfast. Damn his airsickness. Damn it to the very depths of hades. Why couldn't he just be free from this disgusting madness? After spitting what was left of the sludge out, he popped a mint into his mouth, trudged back to the empty row of seats, and laid across them, the back of his hand resting over his eyes.

"It doesn't get any better than this." Jaune muttered ruefully to himself, rubbing his stomach.

Three hours went by before he realized just how empty the airship was. It was dead silent, almost eerie in a way. The air was stagnant, without a voice to hear. It would have spooked him if he wasn't sick to his stomach. Though not even his motion sickness could shake off the general feeling of unease. It felt like someone was watching.

Grunting and moaning, he rolled lifelessly over the side of the row, and ragdolled onto the floor, bouncing once or twice on his chest. Great. Just great. Now he can't get up.

"Can things get any worse?" Jaune asked no one angrily, muffled by the floor.

" _Good morning passengers and crew, thank you for choosing our airlines today."_ The intercom lady said, her chipper voice just adding insult to injury. _"We regret to inform you all that we will be facing major turbulence for the next hour. We regret any inconveniences. Have a great flight."_

Jaune screamed into the floor.

No man should suffer the horrors that Jaune forced himself through this day. Forget the training, forget getting expelled, forget the amount of crap he had gone through now, and in the future, that was the worst experience he had ever gone through. It was worse than when Nora had cooking duty for the day. Nothing was left without scorch marks that day.

Like a walking corpse, Jaune trudged his way out of landed airship, and promptly kissed the ground under him. Ground! Sweet, lovable ground! How he missed thee. He was so busy appreciating the ground he walked under that he didn't notice the shadow over him.

"Well, that's attractive." A sarcastic voice mused. Jaune froze, recognizing it immediately. Oh no…

Scrambling up to knees, he shot into attention, trying to maintain whatever dignity he had left. Thankfully, his immense height stopped him from looking her dead in the eye. Standing in front of him was a young blonde woman, just a little bit older than him, with vibrant blue eyes, a beautiful face contorted into a sarcastic grin, and the most prim and proper business suit he'd see in a while. Of course, his overachieving older sister would have to meet him first.

"How's it going, Reyna?" Jaune asked dully.

"'How's it going? Seven months and that's all I get from my little brother?" Reyna asked, looking hurt, exaggerating by palming her mouth. "And here I thought we were family."

Jaune sighed. "Sorry, I'm just a little stressed, and…" He took a deep breath. "I need to see dad. Now."

* * *

 _ **And now we finally have the confrontation of Jaune and his family. Thank you for reading, review your thoughts, views, and opinions on this, it really helps me out a lot. Thanks!**_


	18. Chapter 18: Love of the Family

_**Hey guys...**_

 _ **Yeah, its been a while. Well, quite a bit has happened. For one, many family related complications, a small vacation later on to refresh myself, and, to add to that, I was hit hard with burnout. I simply didn't know what to write, and didn't have motivation. Its not much of an issue now. Sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

Quiet was the best way to describe Anima. With its luscious, lively fields full of thick green grass, to its forest chock full of thick trees, to the clear, bright lakes with a rainbow array of fish and other exotic life, it was safe to say the land still hadn't lost its luster, even with the amount of time he spent away from home. There were no skyscrapers, multitude of vehicles or large crowds of people surrounding stores. Just peace and quiet.

Small houses littered the small meadow that encompassed the village. People, both young and old, walked from place to place idly, minding their own business. No one disturbed the peace. No one wanted to. All in all, Anima was a great place for Jaune to grow up. Nothing changed very much except for the amount of people ambling by. There weren't as much as Jaune remembered. Heck, three of the stores that were open just before he left were closed down, some with buildings that were missing entirely, strangely enough.

Reyna led Jaune by the hand, but she didn't need to. He knew where he was going. This place was his home from way back. Friendly familiar faces smiled and waved at him. Encouragingly, he waved back. Memories came flooding in. An old tire hung from a tree not far off from edge of the town. Jaune remembered swinging too hard on it, and breaking his arm upon landing. That same tree had remnants of slash marks on it from when he 'trained' to be a hero. More he just swung a sharpened stick at a tree until he got tired or someone told him to stop.

When they walked by a particularly desolate building, he stopped, eyes narrowing on it. "Wasn't there an ice cream parlor here?" Jaune asked.

Reyna sucked in a breath. Probably not the best topic to bring up now, it would seem. "The Grimm attacks are getting worse. We don't exactly have an excess of hunters here."

Jaune sighed. "So dad's still not doing his job?"

Reyna stiffened, not turning to meet his eyes. "I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that, you ungrateful asshole."

Jaune pursed his lips, letting go of his sisters and hand walking ahead. Once they reached the center of the town, they happened upon a particularly large house, shoved crudely in the corner of the street, pinned against a grassy hill. Jaune's shoe scraped the grass underneath when he stopped, throwing dirt into the air. He bit his lip, hands knitting tightly as he stared at the house he promised himself he would never go back to.

"Well, you coming?" Reyna asked impatiently, walking closer to the house. Jaune didn't respond. What if dad was home? No. That was exactly what he needed. If anyone would know any secrets to the history of the Arc's, he would.

"Yeah… just… gimme a second." Jaune took a deep breath. Then another. Then another. "It's just your father. You're not fighting a Grimm. Remember, you're bigger, stronger, and tougher than ever. You can do this… you can do this…"

"Are you gonna keep muttering to yourself, or are you gonna get in the damn house?" Reyna demanded.

"Reyna, is that you?" a loving, pleasant voice called from the house. Hearing it filled Jaune with nostalgia and more than a little happiness. Not a day went by when he didn't miss that sweet tone. "Your making quite a racket for this early in the morning. Care to explain?"

"Yeah, its me. Sorry. I'm trying to drag your stupid son back into the house." Reyna called back, jerking a spiteful thumb towards Jaune.

"Reyna Valerie Arc, you will not talk about your brother like…" She trailed off, an unsteady silence drifting over them. An odd mix of foreboding and ease filled him. What came next was but a mere wimper of a sound, something that Jaune had to strain his trained ears to hear while Reyna couldn't hear anything at all. "J-Jaune? Is that you?"

The blonde knight took a deep breath before answering with a smile. "Yeah Ma, it's me." Jaune barely finished before the door was suddenly flung open so fast, it bounced off the inner wall of the house with a loud crack. The little, plump woman known as Amelia Arc sprinted out of the house, and embraced Jaune before he could grab his bearings. He let out a short cry of surprise, but his mother didn't care, tightening her grip on her son as if he'd disappear if she let go.

"Oh my Lord, Jaune!" She shrieked into his chestpiece. "You're here! You're actually here! When did you arrive? Why didn't you tell me first? Are you staying? Are you injured? Oh please, tell me you're not injured!"

A small chuckle left his mouth. Of course, he had come to expect this. Sheltered barely described his childhood. As a child, he was highly spirited, but rather sickly, small and weak. His mother wouldn't let him out of her sight. No doubt, despite his height and the strength in his presence alone, she still saw that little child who shouted loud and proud that he'd become a hero to all. Blaming her for worrying now wouldn't be very becoming of him now. He did leave for months on end to a dangerous monster hunting school without contacting her.

"Relax Mom, I'm fine. See?" He raised his arms to shoulder length, letting her get a proper look at him. "Perfectly fine. Nothing to worry about here. I actually came back to talk to Dad. Oh, and see you all of course." He quickly added looking at there slightly dejected gazes. "C'mon now, I wouldn't just leave you guys out. Family is family after all."

"Clearly empathy's too much to ask for." Reyna said, barely containing her anger.

Jaune shied away from her gaze. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you all in the dark, I…" _I wanted to leave this place behind._ He wanted to say that. By Oum, he wanted to say that. But his mother and sisters would be crushed if they thought he wanted nothing to do with them, which was far from the case. This place was where he was weak. He was stamped on, led to believe he was nothing more than a burden. Leaving was a mercy at the time, no matter how weak he was back then. Things have changed now.

His mother backed away slightly so she could get a better look at his face and body. The expressions varied from horror, presumably at some of the little nicks and small and fading scars from training, to wonder, to approving, nodding her head slowly and smiling. "My my, you've grown." she reached up and tugged gently at the small amount of hair on his chin. "And here I thought you wouldn't grow any hair until you were your father's age."

Jaune chuckled a little. "I guess. How am I bigger though? I know I'm not any taller so-"

"Oh screw that noise. If you were any taller, we'd have to buy a new door frame." Reyna snarked, brushing past him as she walked into the house, announcing her presence to whoever was in there. "Hey you lot! Little Bunny's back home!"

Jaune forced down a sigh. There it was. His traditional family nickname. All because he wore a hoodie with the head of a pink bunny on it. His mother laughed merrily at this however, putting a smile on his face. His mother had to be the most pure, honest, loving woman he ever had the pleasure to know. Always a mama's boy at heart, he stayed by her side most of the time when he was younger, much to the dismay of his sisters, who wanted the same amount of attention from their dear younger brother.

Amelia Arc wasn't very tall. He daresay that Ruby was nearly taller than her. And she was rather plump, but that didn't distract from her beauty. So many years had come her way, and not a day of it showed in her face. While older, she always had such a youthful, mischievous look in her deep blue eyes, and a perpetual smile. Her well maintained brown hair had reached down to her shoulders, and bounced with every movement. Happily, she took him by the hand, and led him inside.

The house hadn't changed much at all since he left. It was cramped, especially with the awkward furniture placement, but comfortable, with a certain warmth and ease in the air. The ripe smell of bakery goods still in the even wafted around the house, making his mouth water. How could he forget the famous Arc cookies, something that only he and his mother could properly prepare. His mother always did them better though.

Pushing himself through the thin doorway, a thin smile formed on his face, unawares to him. As weary as it was returning, it also felt relieving. "So, who's home? Aside from Reyna."

"Not that many, actually. You know Gabriel, she's off doing her own thing. I swear, she never stays still." She said, shaking her head. "Mila's off doing her Atlas duties in Vacuo right now. Juliana and Beatrice are upstairs if you want to see them. Joan's still in Vale, but guess who's come back." She turned towards the stairs, and howled, "Little tyke, get down here! You're brother's home"

A series of loud squeaks echoed all the way down the stairs. Another little chuckle escaped Jaune's mouth. Bracing himself for the frontal assault, he widened his arms expectantly. Within seconds, Iris, the hyper Arc, rushed into him, arms and legs coiled around his torso, squealing into his chestpiece.

"A little excited, aren't we?" Jaune said in a warm tone, gently stroking the top of her head.

"Jauney! You're home! Are you staying? Huh? Are ya?" She asked, looking up at him, little excited twinkles in her eyes.

"Yes, but only for a few days." Jaune recoiled a little at the disappointed pout on her face. "C'mon now, don't give me that look. I'm really busy now."

"I know, I know." She grumbled, her rosy cheeks still puffed. That went away almost as fast as it came when she started rubbing Jaune's chin. "Look, Mom, look! His chins all fuzzy!"

"It's just peach fuzz, Iris, calm down." Jaune said, stifling a laugh.

"Not even home five minutes, and you're already causing a racket." A deep, surly voice called from the end of the hall. Jaune's heart skipped a beat. Could that really be him? So soon? Was he even ready for this? There was no choice now. The option to walk away turned to ash the moment he stepped on that airship. With a deep, deliberately slow breath, he looked up from his sister and found the man of the hour.

An obnoxiously tall man, nearly a heads height higher than Jaune himself who was tall in his own right, stood in the doorway of the dining room, arms crossed and stone faced. With his blonde hair shaved down, and his towering physique that rippled with muscle that was barely contained behind a thin, grey shirt and jeans, he looked like a titan compared to everyone else. His hazel, brown tinted eyes narrowed on him like a hawk on its prey.

Those were the same eyes that he grew up with. Any lesser man would be melting away, but he was patiently waiting for him to speak, staring boredly back at him. Once his intimidation proved unsuccessful, he spoke finally.

"When did you get back." He asked.

"About an hour ago. I got here by airship." Jaune replied matter-of-factually.

"Ah. You're doing well?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Of course."

Silence hung in the air. Can anyone say awkward?

"You've got some hair of your chin now." His father said with an approving nod.

"Just a little bit, not much. It'll probably be gone by tomorrow anyway." Jaune replied, rubbing the small amount of hair on his chin.

More silence came. The air became thick with tension, so much so that Iris tensed in his arms. Taking a shuddering breath, suddenly feeling chilled to the bone, he licked his dry lips, attempting to speak. His mother, thank goodness, cut in with a smile. "So, my little prodigy, did you make any new friends?"

"Uh yeah. Plenty." Jaune answered shakily. "I-"

Jaune stopped abruptly when he felt a weird sensation on his back. A sort of shaking that had a steady, electric fast rhythm. Was that vibration? Why would he be feeling that? He has nothing that should be vibrating, should he? Brows furrowed in confusion, he placed his younger sister onto the ground, along with his rucksack, and rummaged through it. What he found was a scroll, and an older model at that, which had just one name on its screen. Michael.

 _Uh oh._

With a sigh, Jaune pressed the approve button and placed it to his ear, turning away from his surprised family. "Michael, why did you put a scroll on me?"

"The better question is why are you complaining? Precaution is precaution after all, little man." Michael's deep, gravelly tone on the other end. It was oddly quiet in the background. In the back of his mind, he expected to be blocking his own ear from the loud cracking of gunfire on the other end.

"Is there something you want?" Jaune asked.

"I _want_ to know how long you're going to take. Time is an issue, y'know." Michael snapped back. Jaune was about to retort before he spoke again, sighing loudly. "Sorry, it's been a long night. Didn't get a wink of sleep." He yawned loudly. Poor man. Deep within the surly gravel was the desire just to drop down, and sleep for the rest of eternity.

Goosebumps covered Jaune's skin, the question he wanted to on the tip of his tongue and scaring the mess out of him. "So… did you… find out anything?"

"About what? … oh." He cleared his throat, taking the drowsiness out of his tone as best as he could. "Not any big details, just little pieces here and there. Nothing that can help you right now."

"Can you at least tell me where you are, or what your doing?"

"Jeez, you sound like a jealous girlfriend. I think I should tell you I don't swing that way, kid." Michael snarked, laughing heartily.

"Michael…"

"Sorry kid, but no can do. This is… a little messy." A shiver went down Jaune's spine. He sounded angry. No, not the typical sarcastic, grouchy kind of angry that was a typical norm for him, but truly angry. Like, ready to snap a few necks and laugh about it angry. This was terrifyingly new, and it scared him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just gimme a few days. I'll be fine after that."

Jaune nodded, silence following. Eager to break out of this tension, Jaune scrambled his brain for topics. Then he realized what was in his hand. A scroll. A freaking scroll. Jaune grinned. "Say, does this phone come with the function to contact scrolls?"

"Huh? Uh yeah. Wh-" The voice was cut off by loud beeping as Jaune pressed the red hang-up button. Gleefully, he dialed in a number that he remembered by heart, and let it ring. After a series of beeps, and bated breath, the line cut out. Brows furrowed, he tried again, this time getting an answer from a very angry blonde.

"Look pal, I don't know how the hell you got this number, but if don't leave my sister alone, I'm gonna tear your balls out through your throat!" Jaune immediately paled. So much for a nice surprise.

"Uh… Yang?" Jaune asked nervously.

After a short pause, the screen went blank, with an agitating spiral swirling in the middle. That went away quickly, replaced by Yang and Ruby's rather distorted faces moving slowly. Damn old technology. Yang spoke in a rather quiet and surprised tone. "Jaune? How in the… how did you call her? I thought your scroll was broken."

"It's something called a first edition scroll. People still have those." Jaune replied sarcastically.

"Well, what did you need? We're kinda in the middle of training." Yang asked impatiently, flashing her gauntlets.

"Oh, sorry, I won't take up your time. I just wanted to see if this worked and-" One of his many family members cleared her throat behind him. Jaune moaned uneasily. Perhaps he did blank them out after the call. "I gotta be quick. Can you do me a favor and put Ruby on?"

"Sure. Hold up a sec." After a little bit of shuffling, and a somewhat loud, hyper sounding shout, Ruby flitted onto the screen, the pixels barely keeping up with her.

"Yo, Rubes! I- Wah!" Jaune cried out as his youngest sister clambered up his body, gleefully yanking the scroll out of his hands. "Wait, what are you doing? Iris? Iris!"

"Mom, look! Jauney's talking to a girl!" Iris shouted excitedly, presenting the scroll to her. His mother's eyes widened, a bit of red spreading to her face, and her hand atop her mouth. Quite a typical reaction from his mother, really.

"Oh my, aren't you a cute one." His mother cooed. Jaune could scarcely hear a thank you from Ruby, although it sounded more like a flustered squeak. "Well, I must say that you really know how to pick them."

"M-mom!" Jaune sputtered, red in the face. "It's not what you… I mean uh… just give that back!" Jaune lunged for it, but his elder sisters crowded around him, all wearing the same smirk.

"Jaune's dating? Now I've seen everything." Beatrice said smarmily.

"Seems we have another Arc joining the family. Hope your ready… Ruby was it?" Juliana said snarkily. Whatever Ruby was embarrassingly stammering about was a mystery to him. He was too busy trying to hide his blood red face from his family, who've taken to laughing at him.

"Now now, leave him be." His mother said, saving his sorry ass once again. "Lunch is on the way. You will be staying for dinner, right?"

"'Course." Jaune said with a grateful nod, getting up and walking to the kitchen, making sure to swipe his scroll out of his mother's tight grip.

Lunch passed by rather quickly, following the norm of the Arc family. Everyone was talking at once, aside from Jaune, who was too busy soaking in the pleasingly familiar atmosphere. Dinner was very much the same, although his father stared at him for the remainder of it. It was odd. Long ago, he would be wilting, at the mercy of those hazel eyes. Now, he stared back just as furiously as he did. Jaune swore he saw sparks midway through the meal.

After putting Iris to bed, and saying goodnight to everyone, jaune retreated back to his room, something that hadn't changed, though it was significantly more dusty than he remembered. The bed was still the same after all this time. Jaune had to slap himself, reminding his tired mind that he'd only been gone for a few months. It wasn't like he spent an eternity away from home.

Nights were normally short for him. Staying up late at night wasn't his style, even at his young age. This night was an exception though, now that he finally had a connection to the outside world again. He spent a few hours talking to Ruby and his team, which took turns respectively until he heard the door knock.

"Gimme a sec, guys." Jaune said before turning off the camera and tucking the phone into his pocket. "Door's open." He called dully, wondering what reason his family had for interrupting him.

"Just me, son." Jaune's heart skipped a beat when his father spoke and entered the room. He closed the door behind him, and leaned against it, arms crossed over his chest. "I'll keep this brief."

"You normally do." Jaune muttered, flinging his legs over the side of the bed, and sitting up straight. No other position would do for when he was talking to his father.

"I want to know why you're here." His father demanded, narrowing his eyes. "And don't bullshit me boy, i know when you're lying to me."

"I came to visit my one and only family." Jaune said casually. "Surely you understand that, Dad."

"I also _understand_ when you want something." His father said with a small snarl. "What did I just tell you, boy? Don't bullshit me. I know when you want something. You get quiet when you never are, you have a focused, yet nonchalant look in your eyes, as if you're trying to hide something, but you want to talk about it too. I didn't live this long and experience so much more to be fooled by am upstart brat."

"Thanks for the kind words, dad." Jaune answered back sarcastically, though nervous, shaken face he had betrayed his bravery. Or snark, whatever worked.

"You still didn't answer my question." His father said scathingly. Slowly, but surely that sternness ebbed away. He sighed, rubbing his face. "So many months gone by and you still won't give your old man a break."

Jaune sighed as well, mimicking his father. "You still don't make things easier for me."

"Look Jaune, I am your father. I know you. Just be honest with me." His father said.

Jaune scoffed. "The last time you said that, you called me the shitstain of the Arc family." His father flinched after hearing that.

"That…" He rubbed the back of his head. "Wasn't my best moment."

"Go figure." Jaune snarked back.

The older man took a deep breath, and fingered the x-ray and Vav toys that lined Jaune's cabinet. "Still, you leaving wasn't the smartest thing to do."

"I just... " His voice trailed off, eyes softening. In hindsight, leaving like that was quite a hasty move. Then again, that night wasn't exactly the night for good decisions.

"Looking back it all seems so silly. Me, a grown man, getting all hot and bothered at his son following a dream." His father chuckled ruefully. "Your method may have just been the issue. I want to get something straight with you. I don't care where you got the false documents, or from who, but I want to know why."

"You already know why." Jaune snapped back.

"But I want to hear it from you."

Jaune groaned. "Fine. I wanted to follow my dream, but you wouldn't let me. So I took matters into my own hands. Of course, it would've helped if you'd trained me a little."

His father went gave him a solemn gaze. "Put yourself in my shoes, Jaune. You're a father of a post-sickness child who never left the bed until he was eight. The doctors told me that you wouldn't make it past three, yet you still did. Said son wants to be a Hunter, the most dangerous occupation on Remnant. What would you do?"

Whatever retort Jaune had planned died in his throat. He could've prepared for a million reasons just off the top of his head, but he couldn't lie. Put in the same position, Jaune would've done the exact same thing.

Jaune stared at the floor as his father continued. "To make matters worse, said son steals the family weapon, and armor cobbled together from scraps, and runs away from home. The stress you put on the both of us was astonishing, and all you're focusing on is how much I've wronged you." The blonde teen pursed his lips, suddenly feeling exhausted. A tear crept up to his eye. All this time and effort, and not a single thought of his family?

"Yes, I'm not the brightest and strongest man in the world. Yes, I make mistakes. But once things for sure. I love you, Jaune. Always have, always will. Think about that." With that, his father left the room, leaving Jaune to his thoughts. Hanging up his phone, he crawled back into the bed, burying his head under the covers and forcing his eyes closed.

* * *

About a week had gone by since then. Jaune had not been able to ask about the Arc family power from his father just yet. In fact, they hadn't spoken since that night, except for a few brief questions and greetings. It wasn't that they were tense either, they both had the same problem. Neither knew what to say to the other.

There wasn't a call from Michael since that last one a few days ago, which was unlike him. Silence never suited him. Whenever it was quiet, Jaune was always anxious. He spent the last few days keeping an eye on anything that moved, although that did result in him walking into a wall once… or five times. Maybe six. Enough to start leaving bruises.

To kill time, he left the house with Iris, who was always chirping to come along, and walked to the market occasionally. Today was one of those days. With Iris on his shoulders, he marched to the edge of the market, just at the base of the forest, and checked his list for the fourth time, hoping not to miss anything.

"Jauney, can I get sweets?" Iris asked in her most innocent tone. Jaune smirked. Nice try, little girl.

"No can do. You know what they do to you." Jaune said in his most mature, brotherly tone, but with his raspy, continually cracking voice, that didn't accomplish much.

"C'mon, please?"

"N-O."

"You would give that Ruby girl sweets." Iris muttered, pouting, cheeks puffed out. Jaune could not confirm or deny that. "Oh, are you staying home from now on?"

Jaune sucked in a breath. He knew this was coming. "I… can't. There's still a lot of stuff for me to do."

"Oh." That tone was simple enough, but it sounded like a balloon slowly deflating. Like someone, him probably, was ebbing away at her happiness. Jaune sighed. Can he get a break. Just once?

"Look, I've got my own- what the hell?" Jaune's heart skipped a beat as a loud shriek echoed throughout the village. The earth trembled and shook under his boots, with a cacophony of roars joining in with chaos. The alarm bell blared through the town, making the windows rattle. Jaune swore fervently. No. Anytime but now.

As if on cue, waves of beowolves piled in in droves at the town gates, the guards scrambling to maintain order. A few nevermores, two, maybe three, soared overhead. More Grimm were probably coming. Several civilians with no access to aura versus a busload of Grimm? Slaughter would be an understatement.

Jaune's eyes shot to his younger sister. As expected, she was gasping and sobbing, clutching on to his arm in a vice grip harder than a young girl should have. He took a knee in front of his younger sister, trying to calm her.

"Listen to me! Run back home as fast as you can. Don't stop for anything. When you get there, take this," He shoved his scroll into her trembling fingers. "When you get home, call the top most number. When a girl named Ruby answers, tell them what's going on." The sobbing and shaking did not cease, her eyes glued to his. "Iris! Did you hear me?" After a good few seconds, she nodded, rubbing the tears and mucus off of her face. "Then get going!"

Nodding, she ran off towards the house. Jaune took a deep breath, and howled, "Everyone! Listen up! I need you all to retreat to the far end of the town, and stay there!" He drew Crocea Mors, letting the crowds of people part before him. His breaths came bated, and in short gasps. Anticipation shook his body. The ensuing battle would be like nothing he's face before, and he hoped his training made him ready.

Once the crowd was clear, he thought of all of the malice he buried deep down, all of the hatred and pain that he could conjure. And apparently, it was enough. The majority of the Grimm turned, roaring and hissing. With one last deep breath, he charged forward, screaming, secretly hoping everyone was watching him.

* * *

 _ **So, that's it right now. Again, sorry for the wait. Please review, and have a nice day!**_


	19. Chapter 19: The Knight, Reaper, and Fool

_**From the length of the chapter, you can probably see why this too as long as it did. I have to say, I'm proud of this chapter. Hope you guys are too. Enjoy!**_

* * *

In her years as a huntress in-training, Ruby had come to expect a lot of things. Surprises didn't have much of a kick anymore when you have such a crazy life as hers. What she wasn't expecting is walking into the cafeteria on her normally peaceful sunday morning only to find silverware nearly piled to the ceiling, gleaming brightly. Ruby blinked once. Twice. She rubbed them. Nope, not hallucinating. What insanity has she woken up to this time?

Walking to the table, she inspected more thoroughly than she would've liked to admit. All things considered, it was pretty well stacked, with only a few threatening to fall over. On top of this mess of metal was the very person she'd expect to be up there. Nora Valkyrie, with a pile of spoons in her hands, and a wicked grin on her face, piled more spoons together. Her partner, Ren, was sitting at the base of the tower, sipping tea and reading a book without a care in the world.

Ruby cocked her head. Just how much of chaos had that man seen in his lifetime? Apparently enough to register this oddity as normality at this point. A part of her pitied him. The other wanted to chop that part in half for ever thinking of such of a loss of sanity.

She looked at her other teammates Most of them ignored it. Yang herself just shrugged. Pyrrha was gawking at it, periodically checking the door, hoping a teacher wouldn't walk in and see this. "Um… what's going on?" Ruby called to Nora.

"I'm using this shiny silverware to attract leprechauns?" Nora called down excitedly. "I'm gonna steal their pot of gold!"

"Le-lepra… lepra-what?" Ruby called in complete confusion.

"Leprechauns, duh!" Nora replied matter-o-factually. Ruby glanced towards Ren, who had taken his eyes off of his book to give her a dull look.

"Don't bother. We'll be here all day." He said shortly.

"How did you live with this as long as you did?" Ruby asked, gawking at him. He just shrugged in a manner that said 'I just got used to it', and went back to his book.

Ruby was almost glad that she got the scroll call that she did. Maybe Jaune could make sense of this madness having lived with Nora. She answered quickly, but was surprised that it wasn't his voice on the other end.

"Hello?" Ruby asked.

"M- Miss Ruby?" Ruby's eyes widened. That poor girl on the other end sounded downright terrified. It sounded oddly familiar too. Who was the only other person to call her that?

"Iris?" She guessed.

"Y-Y-ye…" She couldn't get a word out through her stuttering. She sniffed. Ruby felt her heart pick up a beat, fear rising.

"Are you okay? What's going on?" She asked. Her teammates looked up in concern, along with the members of Jaune's previous team. Even Nora had stopped stacking to listen attentively. It took nearly five minutes for the full story to come out, with Ruby asking her to slow down at some points and speed up on others. "Alright, don't worry, you're gonna be fine… yes, Jaune's gonna be fine to. We'll see you soon." She said, hanging up.

"What is it?" Blake asked, surprising her to be the first one to speak.

"Jaune's town, Anima, was full of Grimm this morning. Jaune apparently made all of them follow him into the forest. He's on his own and badly outnumbered!" She didn't even need to give a command. Jaune's previous team was already out the door, Nora nearly collapsing the pile to make it out first. She turned to her team. "You guys are coming too, right?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Yang asked, a smirk on her face, and cracking her knuckles.

* * *

Ash coated Jaune's armor, dropping off in random places in droves every so often as he ran through the forest, sidestepping trees and cutting a few down with a single swing of his sword if they were in his way. His breath came out in mad, hot pants. Thankfully, he was far from exhausted. The brutal methods of Michael's endurance training took care of that. Still, with the vast amount of snarling, deadly Grimm at his heels, he needed every bit of endurance he could get.

The blonde knight refused to look back. Every so often, when a Beowulf or two nipped at his heel, he would jabbed his sword back into its skull, spraying ash everywhere. More would come soon. He could feel the heat of an army at his back. Jaune bit his lip. Was he really prepared to fight an army? Of course he damn well was.

How long had he been running? An hour? Maybe two. The sun was still far from the horizon. Whatever the case, he had driven enough Grimm with his malicious thought process, and caused enough ruckus to make sure that they all followed him, with none of them straying back to town, or so he hoped. Team RWBY and hopefully, his previous team would be here soon, and hopefully take the edge off.

Jaune squinted his eyes. Through the sunlight, and trees ahead, he spotted an abnormally large clearing. Good. Time to make his stand. He ran ahead, picking up speed and arriving in the clearing, running to the center before jabbing his sword into the dirt, helping him screech to a halt.

"This should be far enough." He said with one large huff.

He spun on his heel, dragging his sword across the dirt, making quite a upturned lined. The first Beowulf lined up, expecting a feast. With a deep breath, Jaune swung with all his might, slashing the first Beowulf's head off. It vanished into a pile of ashes nearly instantly afterwards. More came afterwards and met the same fate. Beowulve's were childsplay if he were to be completely honest. The weakest of the weak. Even before he trained, he could take a few of them on his own. This was nothing.

What scared him was what came afterwards.

The maliciousness and hatred that he forced out of his thoughts must've attracted every damnable Grimm in the forest to him. More were on the way, bigger and stronger than any other Grimm he's faced before, training or otherwise. Swears flew out his mouth one by one as he heard their roars and shrieks deep within the forest. As stoic and brave as his face was, and his attitude, he was more terrified than he had ever been before.

The last Grimm to creep out of the forest was a Beowulf. An alpha to be exact, bigger, badder, and more brutal. It roared, sending its hot air out so fast that the grass wavered. It charged with the ferocity of any wild animal. Jaune used that blind fury to his advantage, propping up his shield. The Alpha pounced on him, landing directly on his shield. Surprised by the weight, he fell to a knee before lugging the entirety of it over his shoulder and onto his back. One good slash across its throat ended it.

More Grimm gathered at the base of the clearing, gathering in a near complete circle around him. Fear crept through his system. There were far too many to fight on his own. Was this it? Was this his final stand?

Good.

Better to fight and die for those he loves than letting them die for him.

"Alright, who's next?" He challenged, banging the flat side of his sword against his shield.

* * *

Informants came in all shapes and sizes. Some camp out in bars, dressed head to toe in some of the most suspicious gear, like trench coats if you will, certain that their hidden. Others look so nervous to be there, stereotypically wiping their sweaty foreheads with a handkerchief, standing out like a sore thumb. The only few that were smart enough to hide themselves among the crowd of drinkers were the ones that knew what they were doing. Luckily, Michael's informant was that very person.

Sitting at the bar table, Mercury Black sat, twirling the glass of bourbon in his hand, minding his own business. Who would've guessed that a simple man drinking in a bar was one of the Remnant's most notorious killers with a record that far exceeded his own. 'The Butcher' they call him, not from method, but brutality. You'd call him if you want to make sure the target's not only dead, but damn near unrecognizable.

The moment Michael stepped in the bar, Mercury tensed subtly. Sort of like a breathing motion. His back rose the slightest bit only to relax a second later. No other reaction. Truly befitting of a professional. Still though, why would he of all people give information to him? They only worked together on a few missions after all.

"Didn't take you for the type to drink your troubles away." Michael said, casually sitting beside the killer.

"Didn't take you for the type to be babysitting." Mercury retorted, downing his drink.

Michael scoffed. "If only it were that simple." he gestured to the bartender. "Pina colada, please." the bartender nodded solemnly, making the drink, shoving it under Michael's nose, and making himself scarce as soon as possible. "How's life treating you?"

"Well, dad's dead, mom's missing, I'm a supposed notorious killer, and a thief named Emerald won't get off my back." Mercury said, refilling his shot glass. "So, y'know, plenty of reason to start drowning some troubles." He downed another shot, not even letting a second pass before refilling it again. "How's the fiance?"

Michael clutched his ring absentmindedly. "Fine. She's worried about me."

"You blame her?"

"Not in the slightest." They both sighed and downed their drinks. "Bullshit aside, what've you got for me? And more importantly, why?"

Mercury pulled at a strand of his silver-tinted hair, eying the table under him. "Children."

Michael raised a brow. "Should I be asking questions, or put you on a list."

"The children that the Sidewinders took, you frickin idiot." Mercury growled. "There's a base down south from here in the middle of a desert not to far from here. Coordinates should be in your scroll. Once you're there, explore. Who knows? You might find something."

"Like a computer? Codes? Names? What?" Michael asked impatiently.

"All of the above." Mercury said, about to take another sip before Michael stopped him.

"Can you quit with the vague bullshit? This ain't a game." he said gruffly, fighting the urge to tip it all over him.

"Alright, alright, jeez, I can't ever play with you." He said, sighing. "Listen, you will find a computer there. It's got plans, names, you need it, it's there. The only problem is that its heavily encrypted."

"Then I'll just decrypt it."

"Not that simple. Its encrypted right down to the letter. Not even joking. Every letter requires its own set of decryption. Everything is different. Even with a genius like your fiance, it'll take months on end. Not impossible, just difficult." He said, finishing his drink. "And before you ask me what this has to do with you, _she's_ on the file to. It's one of the few that aren't encrypted."

"So what's in it for you?" Michael asked suspiciously.

"I want nothing to do with whatever you decide to do. Whether it's kill'em all, or doing shit-all, I want my name off whatever opperation your planning. We weren't even here talking to each other. Got it?" Mercury asked, through it sounded more like a scathing demand.

"Whatever you say, but why?"

"Well, there are just a few things I don't want to be apart of anymore. This is one of them. Tell no one, and we're square. Consider us even for that… job I had you do." Mercury stood up, brushing himself off. "Drinks on him." He told the bartender before walking out.

Michael sighed. He knew that would happen eventually. When he looked at where Mercury previously sat, he suddenly paled from the amount of bottles lining the counter, some just barely sipped on. "Wait a minute, how much did that asshole buy?"

* * *

Anima was surprisingly far and remote all things considered. It took a few hours before they were alerted to get ready for landing. Ruby sat by, hands clutching her knocking knees, tooth at her lip. Was she nervous? Try scared out of her mind. Her best friend was currently out there, alone, fighting an army of Grimm, and here she was, waiting to get there.

Her teammates were relatively at ease, almost as if there was nothing at risk. As if this were another mission. Yang even had the gall to tell her to relax. Jaune's previous teammates were nearly on the verge of panic, with Ren trying to keep the order from the other two tense and shaking girls.

Ruby was not as naive as people tended to believe. People die all the time. Sometimes you can save everyone. But she didn't care. The very idea of losing someone dear to her drove her crazy. The constant burning in her eyes from this intensity didn't help. Almost driven mad by her thoughts, she barely noticed Blake sitting next to her, placing an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm fine Blake." Ruby said, quickly, and poorly, composing herself.

"No you're not." Blake said softly. "Scared?"

Now Ruby could lie here, but how far would that get her? Especially with someone like Blake. "Yeah…"

"Jaune'll be fine." Blake said. "You did tell me how strong he's gotten."

"It's not just that. You could be as strong as my uncle Qrow, but numbers can overwhelm. I just…" She choked back a sob. "I can't lose anyone else. Not like…"

"Ruby, do you know why he's out there? Right now?" Blake asked. Ruby didn't answer. She just stared at the floor. "I can't tell you what'll happen when we get down there. I can't even tell you that he'll be fine. Just know this. I've spent my entire life living with 'heroes' and 'idles' for my kind. Those posers with no idea what heroism is. But their people like you, who would give it all for those they love, and the people in their care. He fights for you. You fight for him. That determination will carry you both through. He will survive because that's just simply who he is."

She cupped her face, offering one of her rare smiles. "You won't lose us that easily. We're family now, including him."

A smile crept to Ruby's broken face. "Blake…"

Blake just nodded her head, stood up, then stalked off, nose deep back into her book. Ruby took a deep breath, drinking her words in. There was really was no way to know. All she could do was fight to protect those that she loves…

"We're now over Anima. Y'all prepped for landing?" the pilot called.

"We're all set." Yang confirmed, mashing her fists together, ember celica quickly forming.

The door ahead of them opened. They were hovering just over the square. One by one, they jumped out, landing deftly in the middle of the square. The town was stark silent. She was actually surprised she didn't see a tumbleweed or two drifting around. The town, however, was still pretty intact. Jaune must've done a better job at dragging them away than she thought. Of course, there were stragglers bordering the base of the village, but it wasn't anything too troubling.

Time was of the essence now. The airship ride over here took too long. The sun was just barely creeping over the horizon now, coloring the sky in an orange hue. Ruby shifted into what Yang could only describe as 'commando mode', turning to her team with a serious, determined look on her face.

"Alright, Yang, Pyrrha, scour the area, and take out any Grimm you see. Make sure you don't leave one standing. Weiss, Nora, stay behind and help the town. Get whatever they need done. Ren, Blake, I need you to help me track Jaune." All of them stood in awe at the rapid fire orders she dolled out which such confidence they never would've expected from her. "C'mon! Hurry, there's not a moment to lose!"

They scattered to their respective positions. Ruby didn't waste time dragging her two trackers into the forest area with her, meeting an alpha Ursa the moment they stepped in. "Get outta my way!" Ruby shouted, shifting to high gear with her speed, and dragging Crescent Rose across the beasts torso, splitting it in half before it could even blink.

* * *

A Deathstalker. Of course it'd have to be a deathstalker. Why not? As if the hours Jaune spent fighting hadn't been enough. Armies of Beowulve's, droves of Ursas, small flocks of Nevermores that he bated out of the skies only to cut down. So many Grimm that the ash around him coated the ground in a black haze, and it still felt like he had more to go. That large Deathstalker stood as a towering testament of his trouble.

"Okay… how to deal with you…" Jaune said with all the confidence he could muster. What was his aura level at again? Wait, didn't he run out about an hour ago? The wounds had already began to accumulate. The standard scratches, scrapes and bruises littered random parts of his body, making it ache and creak with each movement like an unoiled machine, with grime and mud covering his face. The left side of his chest-piece had shattered, with the other side being cracked, ready to meet the same fate.

The number of Grimm had long since dwindled. Some had run away for some reason, snarling as if they had just smelled fresh meat. While thankful, he did question why they left to begin with. His friends were probably here raising hell, attracting the attention away from him. Good. If anymore arrived, there wouldn't be anything left of Jaune to call Jaune.

He tried to flex his arm to raise his shield, only to wince at the stinging pain. There was a large bloody scrape across the base of his shoulder, covering it in blood and grime. The pain was bearable. It had to be, otherwise he was dead meat.

Jaune charged forward, roaring. Crocea Mors collided with the Deathstalkers outrageously large claws, bouncing off like a stick on solid rock. Its other claw wrapped around Jaune's torso, lifted him, then tossed him like a ragdoll, sending him into a tree. He grit his teeth from the pain. Was that a crack? Oh Oum, he couldn't feel that bleeding shoulder anymore. That can't be good.

He tried to raised his shield but to no avail. His arm simply went limp, almost dangling. With his other hand, he took his shield, and jammed it deep into the dirt. Not a second before he ducked behind it did a the unbelievably large stinger clashed against his shield, trailing a shower of sparks as it did. Bracing the shield with his good shoulder, he slumped his bad arm over the stingers base, and used his good arm to wrench his sword out of the dirt, and lop the stinger off.

The Deathstalker shrieked, jerking back presumably from pain, ash spilling out like gushing blood from its wound. Jaune kicked his shield out of the ground, dropped his sword, and tossed his shield as hard as he could. The shield's ending edge impaled the Grimm right between the eyes, putting it out of its misery.

Before Jaune could relax, a two Boarbatusks came out of the forest, both rolling towards him at a frightening pace. Thinking fast, he tore his shield from the pile of ashes, and propped it back into the dirt, and pressed his shoulder against it. The boarbatusk managed to scrape the side of his shield, spiraling off into a random direction. The other hit his shield directly, shocking Jaune with its weight. He held through, bending his shields position slightly to send the Grimm over his head.

The moment it landed on its back, he rushed and slit its throat, leaving it to die. The other one attacked his blindspot. He could feel his back armor shatter, but it saved him somehow. Rolling away, reeling from the pain, he noticed his sword on the other side of the Grimm, along with his shield. He must've been batted away from it.

Jaune blinked tears out of his eyes. Tears of frustration. This wasn't it, was it? Not after everything he'd gone through. To think he'd enter this forest so willingly to die, but death hadn't struck him until now. It was cold. It was terrifying. It was merciless. He didn't want to die… he didn't want to die alone…

 _Heroes are always the first to die and the last to be missed._

Michael's words fired through his head. Was that true? Was this even worth it? Jaune let out a pained scoff. They wouldn't remember him. None of them would. The approaching slow steps of the Boarbatusk echoed in his head, along with the minor Grimm circling, waiting for him to die. Jaune just sat there, on his knees, waiting.

Something slipped out of his pocket, then. His old photo viewer? Strange, has it been on this whole time? On the cracked screen, he saw something that made his heart stop. The picture he always ended on every night he looked at it. It was just Ruby and him, in front of a bakery that he'd found earlier that week. She looked so ecstatic, even giving him a kiss on the cheek for paying for what she bought, which was naturally nearly half the store.

Ruby was here, wasn't she, fighting through hordes of Grimm, trying to reach him before it was too late. Another little scoff came out, this time degrading himself. What the hell was he thinking? He'd nearly given up. What would they think of him sitting like this, waiting to die. Ruby and his team were waiting for him. There was no time to quit now.

Pushing himself up to his feet, he picked out an old survival knife, and reverse gripped it. "C'mere, ugly. I'll make your insides your outsides." With a determined grunt, he charged forward, blade at the ready. The Boarbatusk didn't bother charging forward yet. He wasn't worth it apparently. Blade prepped for stabbing, he roared and brought the dagger down onto the hide on its back.

Time stopped. The Grimm stood frozen for a good few seconds before madly convulsions and twitching, collapsing onto the grass in mad spasm, froth foaming from its mouth. A white haze drifted from its orifices, its eyes turning a stark white before the twitching stopped and the Grimm slowly faded into ash.

Jaune blinked. Suddenly, he lurched forward, and threw up onto the grass, vision blurring, muscles numbing, and body shaking. Everything that wasn't numb was burning hot, but deep inside, he felt frozen to the core. On his hands and knees, he could barely register anything, white specks were dancing around his vision. Wait, no, it looked more like fire. Was he on fire? No, fire couldn't be white, could it?

The final thing he heard before he collapsed was someone desperately calling his name. Everything else drifted into the shadows.

* * *

Stealth was never Michael's goto method for base invasion. Going in guns ablaze tended to solve problems faster with a little less hassle when all was said and done. In this case, however, necessity definitely beat preference when it came to what he was up against. Just from his perch on the large sandy hill, he could see almost the entirety of its mass might

Deep within the desert, few would expect to find a large military style base just lying there. Even fewer would dare to go near it. It was built like a fort, with large concrete walls around its base, thicker than tree trunks, with paved roads on the inside. Jeeps full of sidewinders would drive by in five minute intervals, ready to be activated at the slightest provocation. Robotic soldiers, most likely hacked Atlas tech, regularly patrolled, with mechs following suit. In the middle was bare building, showing the wear and tear of erosion.

Just teleporting in wouldn't do him any good. They'd all hear him coming with the practical alarm bell of a boom it makes, one of the downsides of his Semblance. Narrowing his eyes like a bird searching for prey, he focused on a truck a good ten seconds from entering the base. Sliding down the hill, he took off running, outpacing the speeding truck, and slid under the vehicle, latching onto the frame.

A loud creak echoed. Michael gulped. Please let them be deactivated.

There was no beeping, questions, or signs of alarm. Michael tensed, his fingers nearly crushing the metal framing he was gripping. The truck, to his relief, did not stop. The gate passed him by, taking another minute to park by one of the cargo area doors. He tensed as the truck came to a halt, and the soldiers marched out in perfect sync. Once all was quiet, Michael let himself drop to the dirt below, and flitted into the building just as it was closing.

Stealth may not have been his forte, but that didn't mean he wasn't good at it. He had even surprised his ever vigilant instructor from time to time with minimal effort. Dragging children out of this mess quietly was going to be a challenge. Taking out as many units as he could as he went along may be a good idea.

And that he did. The majority of the hacked Atlas units he met, he ended them with a single dagger to their cores. It didn't take long for him to reach the main computer room, which housed a monitor the unnecessary size of a bus. Finding the main console port took longer than getting in there to begin with. Jacking in his trusty drive, he waited, staring at the door as it sucked out all the files it could take in.

It was odd. No one came in. Not even the sidewinders or Atlas techs came for their standard patrol. Michael suddenly felt bare and vulnerable. Were they watching him? Did they know that he was here? Drumming his fingers against the metal table next to him, he kept an unconscious hand on the hilt of his one of his machetes. The loud beep of his jack finishing its swiping scared the daylights out of him.

"Thanks." He muttered maliciously to it, tucking it deep into his pocket. "Loud piece of… huh?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he found a stack of papers. Normally, this wouldn't arouse any suspicion in him, just simple nerd shit that he would've have bothered with. But a few words were just in view that might've made this trip worth it. Names. Rose. Branwen. Lione.

Arc.

Michael smiled. "Jackpot."

* * *

How can one be blisteringly hot and bitterly cold at the same? Jaune had no idea that was possible. Yet, here he was, waking up from what felt like an eternal slumber, blinking from the vicious assault of light in his eyes, feeling a torrent of temperature creep up and down his spine. It truly was a spectacle, trying to decide whether to shiver or strip off his shirt. He decided to do both.

His white shirt was halfway off before the pain kicked in. He winced, hissing loudly as it shot through his body like a hot knife stuck in his flesh. His shoulder felt like it was on fire. Moving it was like an explosion in process. Keeping dead still, the pain began to numb. The blinking lights faded and the room he was in came into view.

 _Home. I'm home?_

The first thing he saw was his poster of X-ray and Vav, standing loud and proud in the corner of his room, moonlight shining on it like a spotlight. Man, he really should've taken that down years ago. Deep in his thoughts, he didn't notice a hand clamping down onto the top of his head.

Jaune squeaked like a bunny, heart skipping a beat. Blake drew back, eyes wide in surprise. "Sorry, did I wake you up?" She asked.

"No, no, its cool. But… my head of all places?" Jaune asked, rubbing it.

"Where else can I touch that isn't injured?" Blake asked dully. Jaune shrugged, then instantly regretted it. She had a point there.

"Are you the one that found me?" Jaune asked. Blake nodded. "Thanks. I didn't know you cared that much."

"My leader did." She said, pressing her nose down into her book. "I just followed along."

"Thanks anyway. By the way, where is Ruby?" He asked.

"She's trying to calm down your family. Dragging you in bloody and dying didn't them in much of a good mood." She said without looking up. You'd think she rehearsed what she would say in advance, she sounded so robotic at times.

"Heh, go figure." Jaune mused, gingerly picking up another pillow, or at least attempting to. Blake finally picked it up for him, and placed it by his side. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it. Your dad let us stay here tonight anyway. He told Professor Ozpin too." Blake said. She stared at him for quite some time, making Jaune feel a little nervous.

"Um, can I help you?" Jaune asked.

"How did you survive?" Blake demanded, slamming her book shut.

"Huh?"

"Seven hours. You were fighting non stop for seven hours, and from how the clearing looked, you certainly weren't spending all that time hiding." Blake said impatiently.

Jaune blinked. It was only seven hours? "Well, most of the time, I was fighting Grimm like Beowulve's and Ursas. You guys took quite a bit of heat-"

"Wrong answer. Was it dust? Trickery? Backup? A new Semblance?" Blake demanded, getting closer and closer to Jaune with each question.

"I…"

Jaune found himself at a loss. He had no idea how he survived to be honest. Whether luck, skill or some miracle, he did survive, and he wasn't going to question it much. What confused him the most was what happened to that final Boarbatusk. That tiny knife shouldn't have so much as scratched it, let alone kill it the way it did. More questions for later.

Blake sighed. "I guess I'll never get an answer." She stood up and walked to his door. "Just wait here, I'll get Ruby."

Jaune scoffed. "Can't do much else."

She left the room, and not even a minute later, Ruby came charging through the door, trying to compose herself afterwards. Jaune cocked a brow. Was she wearing his sister pajamas? Wait, of course she would. She probably didn't have time to pack for the life threatening mission. Even so, they were a little big on her, perks for having a family that were all pretty tall.

Both were silent. She bit her lip, probably harboring something back before sitting next to him. Jaune cleared his throat. "So, what do you think?"

Ruby drew back, blinking confusedly. "Huh?"

"My room? Pretty awesome, right?"

"Um, yeah, I think so." She said, probably paying attention to it for the first time. She narrowed her eyes on a few small things around the room, then smirked. "Anyone tell you how big of a dork are?"

Jaune's face went red. "Hey! We all have our interests! How about you with and your weapons? Have you stopped giving Crescent Rose the baby treatment yet?"

"That's my baby your talking about, you jerk!" Ruby said, puffing out her cheeks in one of the cutest pouts that Jaune had ever seen.

"And that answers that question." Jaune said, pumping his good arm up in victory. Hell, even that felt like it was pulling the arm off, the pain was that bad. "Aura, why don't you work when I need you to." He whined.

With the ice broken, Ruby spoke to him with a smile on her face. "How do you feel?"

"Like a million Lien." Jaune quipped, drifting back comfortably into his bed.

"So, seven hours huh?" She did the same, leaning into his computer swivel desk chair, idly spinning in it.

"Yeah, who would've thought. Dumb luck and blind determination can get you- Rubes, could you stop that, your making me dizzy." Jaune said queasily.

"Sorry." she muttered, halting herself. "So, how'd you pull it off?"

Jaune remembered the picture he saw back on that ash filled battlefield. That picture of them in from of that fountain, just shy of that bakery from beforehand. He put two fingers behind her head with her knowing before he took it. He smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest.

"Let's just say I had some incentive to keep on fighting." He said pleasantly.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what's with the goofy smile?" Ruby asked, raising a confused brow.

"Oh, is it a crime for a man to smile now?" Jaune scoffed, placing a hand over his heart in mock shock.

"With a face like that, it should be." She snarked back.

They both laughed away, forgetting the trouble, forgetting the strife, and just enjoying themselves. Just as Jaune had hoped, she stuck around for a little while, talking with him just like old times. Jaune barely noticed the midnight bell. Ruby yawned.

"My parents gave you a room, right?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, I'm bunking with the rest of my team. But I don't wanna walk back downstairs." she muttered loopily. Damn, drowsiness must smack her like a dump truck every night. "This isn't gonna happen again, right?"

"I can't guarantee that." Jaune said honestly.

"Then can you at least promise me that you won't die?"

"Um, that's quite a claim to ma-"

"Promise me." She said drowsily, leaning down onto the bed. Jaune gulped. That yellow, bunny-filled shirt wasn't doing much to cover things. Especially with a neckline so loose that it drifted over one of her shoulders. "And not just one of those promises you can just dismiss, I want an Arc promise."

Jaune chuckled. So that's how she wanted to play. Then how about a little compromise. "Fine. I promise on my name as an Arc that I won't let anyone or anything kill me but age."

"You… better…" She murmured into his bedsheets. After that, she went quiet.

"Ruby? Hey, Ruby!" He gave her a few small dings on her head, but she didn't even stirred. Poor thing must've exhausted herself today. Pondering what to do next, he leaned back into his bed, waiting for Yang to come in and cart her back to her room until he heard something.

A light sob. Ruby muttering into the sheets. Jaune barely caught a few words. Something about her mother, and continually repeating 'not again'. Jaune bit his lip, sadness overwhelming him. Ruby… how much had she already pushed through?

With all the strength he could muster, he used his good arm to lift the little reaper into the bed, covering her with his sheets. To his surprise, she slipped unconsciously over to him, and leaned her head onto his chest. The pain? What pain? All he felt was warmth. With content smiles on their faces, they passed the night away.

* * *

 ** _And that is where this chapter comes to a close. Please tell me what you think and gimme your thoughts in the reviews. Thanks for your patience, and see ya'll later!_**


	20. Chapter 20: Regaining The Taken

_**First and foremost, I apologize for how late this is. School hit me hard the last two weeks I was there, and harder for Grad practice. Now, the moment its all over, my brothers come from the states, and I got new responciblities. After all that, about two weeks ago, I finally sat down to take a break, then realized "Holy shit! I'm nearly a month late!" And thus this chapter was born a week later.**_

 ** _Please enjoy!_**

* * *

The childlike whimpering and crying told Michael that he was in the right place. Caverns and corridors lined with cracks and dimly lit lights surrounded him as he entered the basement area, the place where any prisoner should be. It was only logical after all. What surprised him however was just how deep the prison was.

Dawn came faster than he thought possible. To avoid detection, he had taken refuge in a small ventilation duct, and fell asleep from waiting too long. Clumsy on his part, but sleep was one of the few things he could fight, especially when he had gotten so little lately. Finding the basement wasn't hard in the slightest, but dodging past guards was. Still, he found it, but by the time he did, it was nearly noon.

Keeping a stable times-table was simple in itself, being a requirement in his line of work. Timing needed to be managed one way or another. Counting the time by the second, he spent seven minutes walking down these stairs, trying to find the bottom, teleporting every now and again past the visions of surveillance cameras littered here and there. Drops of water occasionally plopped onto his head. The disgusting smell of mold and decay only got stronger with every step. How any sane man could stand dumping kids into this hell-hole without a second thought disgusted him.

The cries and shouts grew stronger after eight more minutes of walking. A wall of pitch black met him at the entrance, almost like it was its own separate door. Michael's breath hitched slightly, testing the air. It was sparse, with only a little leaking through from the entrance, which was more horizontal than vertical than anything else, but still led deep down. On a whim, he lit up a flare, and tossed it into the middle of the cavern. Shouts of alarm, sobbing and hisses met him on the way back. The room illuminated. He gasped at what he saw.

"Holy shit... " He rasped, clutching his drying throat that the desert had nearly destroyed.

Cages lined stone floors, stacked carelessly over each other with little regard for their safety or stability. Several were on the brink of falling over. The kids, ranging from seventeen to as young as six, were in patches and rags of what they wore when the came, scratched, dirty and bleeding, shrinking away from the harsh red light. All of them looked downright traumatized, even the hunters-in-training. Poor kids.

He approached one cage housing a young boy, probably ten years old. The name tag read Charley Mattis. The first child taken. He almost looked dead on the floor, skinny and malnourished, barely able to keep his eyes open. Something sparked in Michael than. An old feeling or moral that he thought he had once forgotten. Teeth grit, fists taught, he felt fury for the first time in a long time. Emotions and the mission scarcely coagulated, until now.

"Charley, can you look at me?" Michael asked softly. Charley's eyes shot open in fear, a manic squeak firing out of his throat, but he didn't move. His voice probably wasn't familiar to Charley. "My name is Grey. I'm here to help you."

Charley's eyes blinked. Forcing himself slightly, he looked up to face Michael, tears in his eyes. The kid was barely hanging on, skin pale and patched with brown. He looked like he hadn't eaten in days. Michael bit his lip. Keep it together, Grey, you've seen much worse than this over the years.

Dragging out his two machetes, the small space in the room was lit with crimson. His second machete, Oblivion. While Guardian kept him safe, Oblivion gave exactly what you'd think. Pooling his aura into it, the serrated crimson edge lit aflame, vibrating at an incredible speed, almost to the point of being unable to see how fast the edges shook. With one deep breath, he flitted across each cage, slicing through the metal like a hot knife through butter. In a few seconds, the bars were in pieces, some burning to the touch.

"And done." He said with a sigh of relief, halting his weapon. A throb of pain stabbed him right in his side, making him bite his lip to prevent him from crying out. His hand flew to it as if it were bleeding. The downside of using his weapons abilities. Pooling aura into guardian to make shields, or into Oblivion to sharpen the blade required hefty amounts, limiting its use. Maybe he should be more sparing.

By the time he was back on his feet, children had crowded him, some hesitant to approach, and others helping him up. Taking a deep breath, wiping the sweat off of his brow, he said, "Alright, I'll make this brief. My mission is to get you out. Once were up, I'll flag down an airship. We'll take it to… to…" He racked his brain for destinations. Safe ones at least. Naturally, he picked the first one that came to mind. "How about Anima."

The majority of the children nodded, supporting the others who could barely stand. A mass amount of mutters met him. Comments like 'he doesn't look like a hunter'. They couldn't be anymore right. If they knew who he was, they'd fear him more than the Sidewinders.

Isolating himself in the corner of the room, he fished out his scroll and dialed for Jaune. No answer came back. Damn brat was probably asleep. Lazy bones wouldn't dare stay awake unless he had to. His last bet was… him.

Michael sighed, dialing out his old 'friend's' number. He half hoped he wouldn't pick up. Matching his unlucky streak, he did.

"You've got five seconds to explain why you woke me up before I send Neo to kill you." Roman growled groggily. Weird, you'd think he'd be up at this time of day. It's probably been a rough night of pilfer and plunder.

"Roman." Michael said curtly, instinctively nodding his head.

Silence on the other end. A good ten seconds went by before another word was said. "Well if it isn't Michael Grey, top mercenary of Vale, bartender of the gods, and voted worst babysitter ever." Roman mused, suddenly much more awake. Michael rolled his eyes. How someone could stand this man was beyond him. "What can I do you for?"

"How fast can you get to Kamori Desert by airship?" Michael asked quickly.

"Mmm, depends. How much am I getting paid?" Roman drawled back. Michael clicked his tongue. Was he taking this seriously?

"How about I get my fiance to abolish a good chunk of your crimes off the net. How's that sound?"

"That's still about one lifetime of jail knocked off the twenty-seven… twenty-eight… ugh, I lost count. Care to help me count?"

"Focus!" Michael shouted, clamping his hand down onto his mouth again. Stealth, you idiot, stealth! "They're kids here. Lots of 'em. About two or three probably won't make it if we don't get them outta here now. C'mon man, just help me out."

"How much are you getting paid for this job?" Roman asked idly.

"Tch, I'm not getting paid." Michael growled back.

"You doing charity work? Who would've thought. That's not like you, Mickey."

"Did you forget that what I just said? I need transport for kids that are about to die! Kids. Dying. Do you speak my language?" Michael hissed through gritted teeth.

"Oh, I heard you. But why should I give a damn? What did those kids ever do for me?" Roman asked nonchalantly. Michael was shaking at this point. That bastard truly was a heartless criminal through and through. Why should he expect anything less? Morals aside, he knew Roman's tactic. Stalling increased desperation. Desperation increased pay. Pay makes him happy. Simplicity itself.

"Fine, damn you. How does ten thousand Lien sound?"

"Like music to my ears. That might actually be able to fund this little stunt I'm pulling at the docks not too far from now. Though I'm afraid that's not gonna cut it for this huge trek to the desert of all places. Especially today. If only there was a way that you could pay me back for such a service. A meeting with a familiar face perhaps?" Michael shook his head. That slimy bastard. Of course _that's_ something he'd want from him.

"... Fine."

"Then we have ourselves a deal. I'll see you soon." The line went dead, thank Oum. Another minute, and he'd run himself through with Oblivion. He sighed, leaning against the wall. He may as well sit tight until he arrives. In the meantime, he glanced over one the documents he swiped.

Now, Michael wasn't a stupid man. Not even close. But the amount of medical babble, techno-jargon, and vast array of numbers made his head spin. "Geez, I need a major in freaking algebra to sort this shit out." He muttered under his breath, placing his e-cig between his lips.

Cycling through the files, puffing out an angry cloud every now and again, he happened upon the one clearly scrawled ' _rose'_ on its surface. Wasn't that the kid's girlfriends last name? Scrunching his brow, he looked across the file, ignoring the sophisticated talk and found key words. His eyes widened, e-cig falling from his lips.

 _Oh shit…_

Faster than a bullet, his hand reached for the scroll in his pocket, hoping and praying the kid was up awake now.

* * *

The dreaded razor. The bane of Jaune's existence currently. Staring at his razor had eaten up nearly half an hour of his morning. The shaving cream on his face had long since dried after his third time applying it. It was a crying shame that he had to get rid of his stubble that he spent a good month growing out, but he forgot something important. Beards itch. A lot. It was easier not to have it at all. Easier than spending more time in your day scratching your face like you have fleas than breathing.

Jaune sighed. Fourth time's the charm then. He rubbed the shaving cream over stubble again, wet his razor and bit his lip involuntarily. "Come on… you're a boss… you're a boss… you're a- _ow ow ow ow ow ow OW!_ " Squeaking like a bunny, he jerked the razor from his face, rubbing the small cut that was already starting to heal. Thank Oum for aura. "That could've gone better…" He murmured with a sigh. Who knew shaving could be this difficult.

"Did you cut yourself?" Pyrrha asked behind him, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Yeah. Just trying to get the hang of this. Good morning, Pyrrha." He froze. Those words left a certain familiarity to it. A reminder. It felt like centuries had passed since he'd last said those words to her, or to anyone really. He turned to see that perfect smiling face, messy yet shining red hair, and glittering green eyes to remind himself that this was real. The red nightgown were a nice touch too. "Hey, I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"I don't think so." Pyrrha said shrugging. "You never know. I could just be a figment of your imagination."

"Oh don't." Jaune moaned, clutching his forehead with his good hand. "Don't tell me that now, I might start believing it." What a wild ride these last few months have been. It almost didn't seem real. Then he remembered how those months began. He winced. "Pyrrha… about how I left-"

"Don't bother. What's done is done." Pyrrha forced out. Her voice was rather strained, an underlying hurt under it, but she buried it farther than he could fathom, right under her smile. "You were high strung, and didn't know what you were doing. Let's just leave it at that, and start again."

Jaune sighed. Forgiving, understanding, almost motherly in her stride, it seemed nothing significant had changed with Pyrrha. There wasn't any need to tread lightly around her. That was just the kind of girl that she was. Jaune relaxed, propping himself over the edge of the wet sink with his good elbow, grinning. "So, what do you think of my amazing shave job?" He asked, stroking the one strip of shaven skin on his stubble.

Pyrrha giggled. "I think you should let someone else do it." She mused. "Slicing your face into ribbons isn't the best start to your day."

"Au contraire, my dear partner. Look at this smooth exterior. Bask in it!" He said jokingly, rubbing it with 'pride'. "That is the work of a master right there. None can- _yeeks!_ " Pyrrha wasn't sure what was louder. The squeak of skin slipping off wet porcelain, or the girly squeal of Jaune slipping off the edge of the sink. In true Jaune fashion, he slipped to the floor, right onto his rear. Pyrrha jumped back instinctively, eyes wide with concern.

"Jaune, are you okay? Are you hurt?" She asked.

"Well, I think my ass is as fractured as my shoulder now." Jaune moaned in pain, his good arm rubbing his tailbone. Then again, with a full night of sleep, his aura had healed his wounds nicely. Cuts and scrapes had mended properly, and his broken shoulder was already on the cusp of recovery. Thank Oum for aura.

Pyrrha sighed in relief. "You really should be more careful."

"Yes _mom._ " Jaune muttered sarcastically. She rolled her at this.

Pyrrha's gaze shifted towards him, giving an expression that he couldn't really follow. It looked almost reminiciant, and nostalgic. He could see all of his months in Beacon in her eyes. "Jaune, you look different."

"Do I? Is it the beard? It's gotta be the beard." He muttered absentmindedly.

"No, you just look… strong."

Jaune shrugged. "Maybe it's the amount of time I spent fighting lately."

Jaune _felt_ strong. The months he spent training harder than he ever did in his life probably helped, but it went deeper than that. There was really no other way to describe it. After last night, a certain burning intensity filled him, flickering and roaring in his chest like a bonfire. He'd extend his fingers and feel as if electricity was circulating through them. Raw power bellowed deep within him, and he had no idea why. Maybe his father knew. It was his best guess.

"In any case, you have no idea how proud I am of you." Pyrrha said, smiling radiantly. "Not many men could do what you did at your level." A certain warmth filled his chest. That was Pyrrha alright. One of the few who had actual confidence in him making it in this world. The paragon of huntresses had a certain faith that he could only say Ruby did. It inspired him. She was truly one of the few people he trusted with everything, bar none.

"I still don't know how I'm even alive. Go figure, huh?" Jaune replied with a smirk.

"Still you-" There was a knock on the door.

"Jaune, are you still in there?" Jaune blinked. Was that his old man? When was the last they had talked?

"Uh… yeah. Can you gimme a second?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha shook her head.

"No, you catch up with your father. I'll see myself out. I'll see you later." She turned to the door. "You can come in, its okay."

When Arc senior opened the door, Pyrrha swiftly walked past him, waving to him as she did. His mouth fell open. "Another girl, Jaune? Really? As if that nice little black haired girl with the streaks wasn't enough for you."

" _Daaaaad._ " Jaune moaned, trying to get the red off of his cheeks.

"I mean you did move pretty fast with her. Last night must've been a blast with the way I found you this morning." He mused, a smirk on his face.

"D-dad!" Jaune squeaked, covering his face.

Wait a minute. This morning. What happened again? It was such a blur that he could barely recall. Wasn't Ruby there with him?

Details and memories cascaded back into his head. They were both extremely tired last night, but she still came over to his room and… they slept together. Jaune's heart did a perfect one-eighty and started doing push-ups off of his chest. He'd found out many things that morning. Ruby was quite the cuddler, his scream is somehow squeakier than hers, and her face can in fact be redder than the streaks of her hair. That was like ten shades darker than crimson. Quite impressive, really.

Ruby was out of his room so fast that the rose petals she left behind barely had time to fall. A good ten minutes went by before he blinked again. It took even longer to get out of the bed. Jaune nervously rubbed the back of his head thinking about that.

"Heh, yeah, about that…" Jaune started.

"Don't bother, son. You're still young, I get it. Could never really keep myself down with one girl when I was your age." His father said, rubbing his beard in reminiscence. Jaune blinked. The invincible paladin Jonathan Arc, known to be one of Beacon's greatest students, was a past playboy. That just didn't sound right.

"How'd you get with mom?"

"Oh, she got pregnant. _Kidding!_ Kidding." He said quickly, waving off Jaune's horror-filled face. "Naw, she was my partner in Beacon."

Once again, Jaune was dumbfounded. "Mom was a huntress? What?"

"Not by choice. She wanted to be a doctor, but her parents wouldn't have it. 'Fighting is in your blood' they said, 'your not good for much else' they said." Jaune scoffed slightly, feeling much more connected to his mother. "When we met, she had no idea how to fight. She still doesn't, really. She was never meant to. Still, she was so kind-hearted that I actually fell more for her heart than her ass, strange as it was back then. I don't even recognize myself anymore." A smile crept to his.

Jaune honestly didn't know what to say. This was certainly the most his father had ever opened up to him. Most of his childhood was spent vying for his past, and here it was in detail. Here he was, hanging off of his words like a cherub on a stem, paying attention his every word, scared that he'll change his mind.

"No one was ever kind to me like she was. My attitude kind of gave them reason not to. I was so fixated on living up to the Arc name myself, and being the hero of Beacon, or whatever, but the pure and honest truth was I was just another kid with a stolen sword and a superiority complex. Go figure. I've made many mistakes in my life…" He cupped his face, eyes starting to water. "Son, words cannot express…"

"I get it dad. We both do stupid stuff when we're angry." Jaune reasoned, rubbing his father's shoulder.

"Don't say that." He said hoarsely, shaking his head. "We're men of the Arc's. Mistakes come often and we embrace them. We fight past them. I drove you away from this family, and I regret it all. I love you, Jaune. Don't ever forget that."

"I never have." That was a lie. Or close to one at least. Many times he had questioned it, especially over these last few grueling months. Still, he couldn't bare to break his old man's heart any further. Not now when he poured his heart and soul out to him.

"Thank you." He wiped a tear from his eye. Both felt like weights had been removed from their shoulders. He made an odd sound, a scoff and sob put together. "To think I had devoted myself to my family, and nearly forced one of you away."

"Its over, Dad. And... " Jaune heaved a sigh. "You can already guess what stupid things I've pulled trying to get some space."

"I know, but I didn't want you to end up like me back then. Arrogant, crude, holier-than-thou, and most of all, just plain unlucky." He muttered.

Jaune scoffed. "I'd chock it down more as just being clumsy."

"Okay, now that you got from your mother. I swear that woman didn't know how to walk until she went to Beacon." His father muttered, arms crossed.

"Well, that clumsy woman ended up catching you, didn't she?" Amelia Arc said, strolling up to the bathroom door, the ever present smile still on her face.

"Aye, that you did." Jonathan Arc said, wrapping his arms around his wife. Jaune hid a smile. They both had a happiness that he could only dream of. Somehow they could make the most grim of reality look like heaven in a basket. That was the magic Jonathan and Amelia Arc had, and any man, yes, even their own son, would be jealous. Jaune didn't know if he'd find someone like that. Or better yet, found, just hiding right under his nose.

"For the longest time, being kind and thoughtful, or being a pacifist was a waste of time. She never wanted to hurt a fly, and I would chastise her for it. I hated it, but in eventually won me over. Her Semblance is a nice touch too, especially on my more reckless days." He said jovially, placing a kiss on his wife's head.

"What Semblance?" Jaune asked.

"Sit down, and I'll show you."

Jaune did as he was told, sitting on the seated toilet. Gently, his mother gripped his shoulders, and closed her eyes. Warmth like nothing he'd ever felt draped over him. Pure power surged through him in a massive torrent. His body was covered in what looked like white fire. His shoulder and ribs flared up in pain, but stopped just as soon as it came. When she was done, she went pale, and leaned on her husband for support.

Jaune stood up, expecting pain, but felt nothing. If anything, he felt lighter, more awake and alive. The white fire had dissipated. "Did you just heal me?" He asked, rubbing his now working shoulder.

"No, you healed yourself." His mother said. "A little family Semblance I have. None of my family were known for our strength, so we harnessed the talent of giving strength to those who need it. In other words…" She waved her hand expectantly.

"Aura enhancement." Jaune answered, clenching his now powerful hands.

"How do you feel?" His father asked.

"Like I can take on the world!" He exclaimed. Careful with his mother, he hugged his parents tightly. Jaune had to admit, he got an odd amount of satisfaction from knowing he could hug his titan of a father so hard that he could make him gasp. "Thank you. Both of you."

"And thank you for being our son, Jaune. Be safe, alright?" His mother asked.

"Always."

Hours passed and Jaune still felt like he was on cloud nine. The enhancement had worn off long ago, but his elation hadn't. It's been far too long since he's had a moment to just sit down and breath. Even better, his family was with him, support and all. Basking in the sun, laying in his grassy backyard, he stared at the skies with one of the widest grins he ever had.

His scroll rang. Jaune scrunched his eyes in agitation. With the entire crew here, there was only one other person it could be. He answered quickly, but was on edge the moment he heard nothing but static.

"K-Kid?" That was Michael's voice, though it was drowned out by the static. He could barely make a word out.

"Michael? What's going on? Where are you? I thought you were coming to get me in a week, but your a little late, don't you think?" Jaune complained. Nothing but static. "If you aren't picking me up, I'm heading back to Vale without you." More static. "Michael?" The line cut dead. Jaune blinked in confusion. "Oooookay?"

"Vomit boy, quit talking to your boyfriend and help us out!" Yang called from in the house.

"Boyfriend? What're you even- know what? Nevermind." Jaune groaned, standing and stretching. When he arrived back into the house, Yang slammed the door, and leaned on it, grinning.

"So, I found you and my sister this mor-"

"Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, _please don't kill me!_ " Jaune screamed in panic, setting the world record for dropping down to his knees to beg. That was so fast that Yang thought yellow roses would start flying out of him.

"Jeez, you act fast." Yang complimented, gripping him by his hoodie, and yanking him to his feet. "Relax. I saw what happened. For the most part at least. Thanks for comforting her by the way."

"U-uh... um… I uh…" Jaune could barely get a word out.

"Unless it wasn't consensual…" Yang said, her tone lowering, her eyes slowly darkening to crimson. Was it Jaune or was her grip getting stronger? _Oh now…_

"Nope! It was consensual! I would never do anything bad like that to her! I swear!" Jaune squeaked, hands raised in defence.

"Then we don't have a problem." She said, sticking her tongue out, letting go of his hoodie. Her eyes went back to their usual lavender.

Jaune cocked his head. "That's it?"

"That's it." She nonchalantly picked up her bag, and lugged it over her shoulder. She caught Jaune still staring, then smirked. "Hey, do you think I should start demanding pay for anyone who starts at my boobs?" Jaune coughed, blushing madly from embarrassment. Yang chuckled. "Yup, some things never change. And to answer your question, yeah, that's it. What, do you expect me to go ape shit on you?"

"Um… yeah? I mean, that is your sister." Jaune croaked.

"And your damn well lucky that you're her best friend, and someone I can trust, otherwise, I might not've been so nice. On the other hand, she can take care of herself, and I trust her judgement. I know she doesn't let anyone close unless she truly trusts them. Now, can we trust you?" She asked.

"Of course. Without a doubt." Jaune affirmed.

"Then we've got nothing to worry about. Grab your stuff and meet us at the airship. Oh, and can you grab Ruby while you're at it? I haven't seen her much today. She's been stuck in her room sick all morning. Something she ate I guess. See ya." She winked before walking away, slamming the door behind her. Jaune sighed. She had no love for subtlety, that girl.

Jaune psyched himself up before walking to the kitchen, stopping from to see that Ruby's soup was still there. He cocked a brow. She left her food behind? That certainly doesn't sound like her. Planting his thumb into tomato soup, he tasted it. The very moment he noticed the taste was off, he spat it back out. Enough training with Michael told him when food had been spiked.

The knight was instantly on guard, sprinting up the his room, and picking up Crocea Mors. "Ruby? Ruby! Answer me!" He rammed open the door to her room open. "Rubes? Are yo- _guck!_ " A large hand seized around his throat. Gasping for air, clutching that held him, legs dangling off the ground, he kicked and thrashed against the person that held him, or should he say thing.

Jaune could see a perfect reflection of himself in the black glass of the Sidewinders dome. Its familiar green and black armor-like chassis filled Jaune with dread. A Sidewinder? Here? Now? Oh, Oum, why now? He couldn't even call for help. The shipyard was a good distance away, and even they could hear him, he could barely muster a grunt with the grip crushing his windpipe.

Fighting past the purple blots in his vision, he found Ruby, unconscious, wrists bound behind her back, and tape across her mouth. Panic was replaced with fury and desperation, clawing at the metal hand as if it could feel pain.

"Subject: Jaune Miles Arc." It said robotically. "Age: 17. Occupation: Mercenary in-training. Aura capacity: Astronomically high. Threat level… raised from moderate to substantial. Recommended course of action…" The robot brought Jaune closer to its 'face'. He could see the two red dots where that resembled eyes. "Elimination."

Suddenly, Jaune was flying across the room, through the window, and onto the dirt floor below. The breath flew out of him, or whatever was left of it. A shadow loomed overhead. "Oh, crap!" Jaune squeaked, forcing away his nausea, and rolling away. The Sidewinders standard issue katana impaled the ground in which he was not a few seconds ago.

"It just gets better and better." Jaune growled, drawing Crocea Mors. "Never a break, eh?"

Dropping Ruby carelessly on the ground, the Sidewinder lashed out at him, striking with the swiftness of the snake it was named after. Swords clashing at rapid speed, dirt and gravel rising with each blow, Jaune defended himself against the assault as best as he could. Michael's training came in handy. The Sidewinder's sword style switched on the fly, keeping him on his toes.

Sword strikes came out of nowhere at times, faster than he could keep track. Thankfully, his aura kept his defence up, along with his shield-play, but that could only last so long. He needed time to back up and strategize, or he wouldn't last much longer.

Parrying a downward strike with his shield, Jaune jabbed for its head. The blade rose faster than he could blink, blocking the strike, and nearly sending him off balance. He backed up against a tree, jerking away from it just as fast as it was impaled. Placing his hand against another tree, he leaned against it, catching his breath while the Sidewinder unit stared at him.

The Sidewinder was as vicious as ever. Stronger, faster and much more skilled than him, he didn't have much of a chance of taking it on head-on. Taking control of his breath, he analyzed the Sidewinder as fast as he could, from its chassis to its weapon… wait…

Jaune remembered his previous battle with Michael before he was sent on his way. The katana he wielded may have been old, but it was well maintained. Much like the Sidewinder's weapon. A rapid-fire plan formed in his head. Something crazy enough that it just might work. He twirled Crocea Mors between his fingers before jabbing the blade deep into the earth, leaving him with just his shield. He took a deep breath before waving at the robot, motioning for him to come closer.

"Come then, voltron. I can't terminate myself, now can I?" He taunted.

He almost did 'terminate' himself after actually hearing what he just said.

Nevertheless, the Sidewinder tore its sword from the tree, slicing it in half in the process. The moment the tree fell, the robot charged again, about to side-swipe him. Jaune side-stepped him, jamming the pointed edge of his shield into the base of the blade. The blade appeared out of nowhere. Jaune barely slid past it, slamming the upperpoint of his shield into the base again. One more strike, and Jaune struck it not once, but twice.

The strikes were getting heavier. The Sidewinder was adjusting to him. Good. The more force, the better. Finally, it raised its blade for a downward slash. Jaune dropped his shield, and forced all of his aura into his hands. As the blade came down, fast as lightning, Jaune gripped the midsection of the blade between his hands, stopping it entirely.

 _Snap!_

The blade's base shattered, leaving what was left of the blade in Jaune's hands. The Sidewinder glanced at the bladeless hilt. Jaune smirked. "Gotcha this time." Without hesitation, he stabbed the blade deep into its head, through the glass and circuitry. It jolted, spasmed, spurting crude oil everywhere before falling to its knees and shorting out. It didn't move after that.

Jaune rolled and grabbed his sword, holding it poised. He waited a few seconds staring at the unmoving robot. Another few seconds. A minute. It would've been more if Jaune's legs hadn't gotten stiff and tired. He inched closer to it, kicking it with the tip of his toe. Not one movement.

He sighed. "All done."

Wasting no more time, he sheathed his sword, and ran off to find Ruby. He quickly untied her, and hauled her back to the house. The moment they stepped in her room, exhaustion hit him like a freight train, and he was on the ground, leaning on the side of the bed, holding Ruby, still unconscious, in his arms.

The Sidewinders did it. They committed his worst fear. They went after his friend. No, his family. Dread filled him. Were they going to come after the others in the crew yet? Were they just after Ruby? Jaune hoped to Oum above that Michael had found some damn good information on the Sidewinders, otherwise, he was shit out of luck. Things couldn't get much worse.

As if on cue, the front door slammed open. "Damiiiiiit…" Jaune groaned, hand already gripped at Crocea Mors hilt. To his relief, and horror, he heard Yang's voice from downstairs.

"Jaune, if you guys actually started banging, I swear I'll shove my fist up your… What in the-" Yang was at a loss for what she saw, eyes wide in surprise. The room was a complete mess. Ruby was laying in the arms of an older, blonde knight-in-shining-bunny-hoodie, covered in dirt and crude oil. Jaune nearly shrugged. He's been caught doing worse things…

"Um… I can explain?"

* * *

Michael leaned against the steel bulkhead walls, panting and sliding down onto his rear. What. A. Day. Bringing the children onto the bulkhead unscathed was dangerous enough. Roman charging in, completely ignoring stealth, letting every robot and mech fire away at him? Definitely the highlight of his day. Not sarcastic at _all!_

Bullet holes lined his shirts from the hail of gunfire sprayed at him. Normally, they wouldn't be a problem, but to protect who the mission demands, you sometimes have to become the meat shield. The burning pain, and weariness from his lack of aura didn't help much either. Still, mission accomplished. No casualties to report, no mistakes were made, and the reward was too good to pass up. He glanced at the documents in his bag next to him warily, hoping they didn't up and vanish on him.

But he needed answers to what the fuck he just read. About Arc. About Rose. About… De Leone. How did they know about them? And more important… who else knows?

Fishing into his pocket for his scroll, he dialed the first number he thought of. After a short wait, the call was received. "Good afternoon, this is professor Ozpin of-"

"Cut the pleasantries, we both don't have time for them." Michael said shortly.

"What's the urgency?"

Michael sucked in a breath. Ozpin spoke as if he anticipated this, that sly old bastard. Older than people would ever believe, but he could never tell anyone else that. That was the trust that kept him away from… her. "I found a few files about Arc and Rose. About their talents, I mean. We need to talk."

* * *

 ** _Hope you enjoyed that. I am thinking of making my chapters longer. Review what you think. It really helps me out and inspires me to make more! See ya!_**


	21. Chapter 21: The New Struggle

_**ALRIGHT! NOW! A few words. Look, I apologize for the wait. Life gets in the way more than I thought. Balancing a new job, soon to be college, and my family, I'm trying to make progress. Keep in mind, I refuse to quit, I'm too passionate about my stories.**_

 _ **I decided to do something. I will update ALL of my stories at once, once a month. For those keeping track of me, I have been pretty much doing that already, but I want to make it official for those who don't. Thank you for your patience and please enjoy!**_

* * *

Turbulence from the perpetually shifting bulkhead reminded Jaune that he was still alive. A familiarly unpleasant lurch in his stomach made him wish he wasn't. Lying down on the hard ground was pretty much the only way he could stem off motion sickness. Any other time, this would be true utter hell in a basket. Now, however, he had something to distract him. Something that he had found by complete accident not even an hour ago.

He sighed, closing his eyes to focusing on the emotions he had felt that night when he fought the Grimm. Desperation, fear, anger, helplessness, a desire to fight back. A will to live. He outstretched his hand. A hum of power filled it, shaking it. Small sparks of white burst out between his fingertips. Clenching it caused burst of heat, nearly forcing his eyes shut from its intensity. White fire danced around his fist, spreading down the back of his hand as he unclenched it. You would think that it would hurt, but he didn't feel a thing.

Jaune, for the life of him, still had no idea what the hell this was. This rush of power came after he woke up, but manifesting it was something done by complete accident. In fact, this was the third time he had managed to do this. The first time was after he'd explained everything to Yang, and she had dragged Ruby off to the airship, intent on getting her as far away from there. Jaune had suddenly felt weak, falling down to his hands and knees. The weird effect and glow came right after.

The Knight barely had a chance to say a brief goodbye to his family before he was dragged off by his hood to the airship station. To his dismay, he never did talk to his dad about the family. Not about this strange power he had. Yang had been so insistent on leaving back to Beacon for Ruby's protection that he barely got a word out to his folks, or pack his things. Deep in his thoughts, his heart skipped a beat when a soft, yet powerful, hand clamped onto his shoulder.

"Still playing with fire?" Yang commented, sitting next to his head.

"I know you of all people aren't trying to lecture me about playing with fire." Jaune retorted. He tried to sit up, but that same lurch came back, and he was flat on his back again, sighing. "How's Rubes?"

Yang tensed slightly. "She's a little shaken. Who wouldn't be after the crap she just went through."

"I know what you mean." Jaune muttered, staring at his palm, watching the white lightning crackling between his fingers.

"So, you know about them?" Yang asked bluntly. "The Sidewinders I mean. How much do you know."

"About as much as yo- I swear, you are wearing contacts, I just know it." Jaune commented, trying to edge some fear out of his system after seeing Yang's eyes change to a deep crimson.

"Not the time for jokes, Arc. I want answers. Why did they come for her?" She demanded, teeth grit, though tone strangely low.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Jaune said shrugging. "All I know is that those things are androids, taking kids away for some reason. The most I could get was that they are trying to gather kids with a lot of aura potential, kinda like me and Rubes. Something doesn't make sense though."

"What?" Yang asked impatiently.

"Judging by how long its been in the house, and how long Rubes was out, if it wanted to, it could've taken her already. It's almost like it was… waiting for me." Jaune finished, lip bit in anxiety. He narrowed his eyes in thought however. "Say, Yang, what's your knowhow on machines?"

"Not bad. Why?" She asked, confused about the subject change.

"Could you grab that large sack I have next to my bag. I would but…"

"Say no more, Vomit Boy, the last thing I need to do is buy more shoes." Yang said, rushing over to his belongings. "Ooh, a little hefty. Whatcha got in here?" she asked, dropping it in front of Jaune as he finally had the strength to sit up.

"Open it and find out." With no hesitation, Yang all but tore the canvas cover apart, revealing the Sidewinder android he had destroyed prior. She raised a brow, looking expectantly towards him. "I took it earlier before we got here. Kinda tricky to find, I'll be honest. If we didn't keep knocking down trees, I wouldn't have found it."

Yang dropped it by Jaune's side, examining it briefly. "So, what do you expect me to do with this? I'm no robotics expert, I just fix a bike."

"Actually, I'll take care of that. All I need is the head frame taken o- _without breaking it!_ " Jaune screamed, hands waving for ceasefire as Yang excitedly raised her fist. "I want to see what's inside, not count the pieces left behind."

"Aw, you're no fun." Yang pouted. Jaune cupped his mouth, eyes darting away, snickering. Pouting ironically was something he'd never expect from Yang. Hand placed at her chin, she fished into her back, picking out a small tool kit. She took the head of the Sidewinder, examining every crack and orifice of it, rolling around routinely. Crude oil, bolts, and other various tech dropped occasionally off, but Yang paid it no mind. Her eyes glinted victoriously. "Pass me my screwdriver."

Snatching it out of his hands, she quickly went to work, dismantling the frame. Screws and crude dropped in abundance for a few minutes. The robot would twitch, and shuddered violently on occasion, almost as if going through cadaveric spasms, scaring the daylights out of them both. An hour went by before the black glass framing was dropped carelessly on the ground, shattering against the cold metal. Yang poked a tongue out at Jaune's glare. "Oops."

"Well, it's open now." Jaune uttered, picking up what remained of the head. It looked odd to say the least. Crimson metal coils linked around a bright blue face-like chassis, fit with the smallest looking eyes. The figure looked dirty, with rust and dust covering its entirety. Jaune blew on it. A cloud of dust flew back into his and Yang's face, making them violently cough.

"Jeez, Jaune, you mind that blowing that somewhere else? The hell!" Yang sputtered, trying cough out whatever dust she inhaled.

"My bad." Jaune said absentmindedly, narrowing his eyes. Jaune was no mechanic. Telling the difference between something in relatively good condition or utter scrap was harder to tell for him than others. However, it didn't take an expert to see how rustic and ancient the hardware was. With one little scrape of his gloved fingertip, chips of rust dropped off in a steady fine trail. "So, what's your take on this?"

"I'd say that I'm surprised this thing hadn't fallen apart years ago. The hardware's fried. See here, where these grooves are at the side of its head?" She asked, poking them. Jaune nodded. "Its caked completely. No air or exhaust is escaping, so whatever parts in there's heated up from overuse. It probably fried its software too. The type of metal's outdated too. This kind's highly conductible, and has a relatively lower melting point."

"Heh, and you told me you weren't good at this." Jaune chuckled.

"Just using my common sense. Can't call myself much of a mechanic without it." Yang placed the head inside Jaune's rucksack, forcing it through the layers of clothing and snacks he was hoping to save. "We'll show Ozpin later. He's meeting us at the Docks when we get there."

Jaune gulped, instantly pale. "Really?"

"That's not a problem, right?" Yang asked suspiciously.

"Nope, none at all. I'll still squeaky clean here. Not a crime done." Aside from literally doing his job. The concept of Mercenaries was just confusing. "Hey, hand me the rest of it." Yang slowly dragged the rest of the metal body to him. Without looking or thinking about it, he reached out for it with his powered hand.

A deafening boom echoed throughout the small airship space, reverberating in their ears. The airship jerked sideways at the sheer force of it. A visible shockwave blew Yang off of her feet, sending her clambering against the wall. When the dust settled, and the ringing stopped, Jaune suddenly felt like he'd ran a marathon, then repeated it for good measure. Gasping for air, sweat dripping off of his face, he turned to Yang, who gaped at him in shock. His burning hand clutched the shattered pieces of the robot. He sighed.

"Okay. Don't touch anything with this hand while it's like this. Got that noted now. Can things _please_ finally stop exploding?" Jaune moaned.

* * *

The landing came soon afterward. Jaune rushed out of the airship, feeling a tremendous spike of energy, almost attempting to kiss the ground. Grinding to a halt at the gate, he looked around for the professor, but couldn't see him anywhere. "Are you guys sure he's supposed to be here." He asked.

"I _was_ sure." Yang grunted, the rest of the team dispersing behind her. Jaune was about to comment before he heard his scroll ring. There was a text message from… oh no. "What's up?" She asked.

"Just a little message from the last person in the world I wanna see. No big deal." Jaune sarcastically said, unintentionally reading the text message aloud. " _Get here now. That's a order."_

"Sounds like trouble in paradise." Yang joked, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, if only." Jaune sighed, turning towards the two teams with the biggest smile he could muster. "I just wanted to say thanks to all of you. You really saved me out there."

"Isn't that what friends are for, fearless leader?" Nora cheered, flashing him a thumbs up.

"But I'm not-"

"Don't bother telling her no." Ren cut in, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Just accept and move on." Jaune nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

The life he left behind was catching back up again. So were the memories. He'd only been gone a few months, but it felt like years. He sighed wistfully, thinking of how temporary it was. In about ten minutes or so, he'd be back in that bar, doing missions that required just that he cut off that little shred of humanity that he wanted to keep intact. Fighting battles that weren't his. Defending a cause that he didn't believe in. Jaune tensed thinking about it, trying to cast the thoughts away while he talked with his friends.

The clock struck seven, ringing loudly in turn with scroll. Blake and Weiss had already left, taking care of their business elsewhere, not before he sent his thanks. The Old Man was probably throwing a fit with the amount of time he spent chatting. Reluctantly, he waved them away, trying to send them off easy. One by one, they all went to the airship until he and Ruby were alone. Heat rose up in his face. Now should be the time. He clutched her by the hand, stopping her.

"Jaune, what's up?" She asked, somewhat flustered looking from the contact.

"I just… wanted to thank you for saving me." Jaune said nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "If it weren't for you, I'd be Grimm crap right now."

"It was Blake that saved you. She tracked you down and dragged you back. I just tore apart whatever was in the way." Ruby said honestly. Huh, that would explain the large clearing that wasn't there before… and giant holes in the ground.

Jaune smiled, shaking his head. "No, trust me, you saved me." He said gratefully, unconsciously reaching for his photo viewer. That image of the bakery came to mind again. The picture that ignited his fighting spirit. It kept him fighting. Kept him hoping. Kept him living. Ruby looked a bit confused at this. Jaune couldn't blame her. He wouldn't' tell her though. He'd drag this secret to the grave with him.

"Ooookay. I'll see ya soon then?" She asked hopefully.

"Heck yeah." Jaune said, flashing a thumbs up.

"I better hear from you. Don't leave me hanging for a month again."

"You know I can't help it-"

"Just be safe."

"Rubes-"

"Shut up." Jaune sighed. There was that pouty face again. There was no arguing with that. Any more out of him would just make those blushing cheeks puff out even more. They'd probably burst before they were done. "Just remember your promise."

"Wash behind my ears?" Jaune quipped.

"You know what I mean, Jaune." Ruby fired back.

"Look both ways before crossing the street?"

"Jaune!"

"Alright, alright, I hear you." Jaune said smirking, hands raised defensively. "I'll try to stay safe as long as you do the same." Ruby nodded, her smile wavering. He could see the diluted fear in her eyes. "Look, I'll take care of this Sidewinder problem soon. Just give me some time. I'm closer than I've ever been. You do trust me right?" She nodded without hesitation. "Great, then you've got nothing to worry about. Get outta here, give Professor Ozpin this too." He handed over the canvas covered head. "Best not look at it."

"I swear, if this thing starts bleeding, I'm disowning you." Ruby snarked. She stood for a moment, eyes darting from Jaune. He raised a brow. She took a deep breath before rushing over to him, planting a kiss on his cheek, and sprinting away, spraying rose petals everywhere. Jaune stood, blinking, eyes wider than dinner plates, touching the wet spot. It wasn't much of a kiss, more like she accidently tried to swallow his cheek for half a second.

But it was the thought that counts.

"Maybe she should take… take-" He cleared his throat, tugging at his hood. "L-lessons from Yang."

* * *

The cab ride ended faster than he expected. Once he stepped out, the driver sped away so fast that the Lien card that he handed off nearly lit on fire. Jaune bit his lip staring at the door. What he wouldn't give to have Michael hear to bash him over the head and complain that he's taking too long, but he wasn't here. Jaune was on his own. He took a deep breath before barging in.

Patrons of the bar stared at him for a split second before refusing to acknowledge his existence. That was fine. It made it all the more easy to walk by and pretend that they didn't exist as well. It was an oddly mutual relationship. At the top floor, he stopped at the Old Man's door, hand hovering over the nob.

"Enter!" The sharp command made him jump a good foot in the air. Kicking his nervous self, he pushed open the door, slamming it shut behind him. The room was nearly pitch black, cast alight by only a single candle on the Old Man's desk.

"Why is this place always so dark?" Jaune asked, squinting to see him.

"It saves on electricity." He said simply.

"Aren't you rich?"

"Are you still questioning me, boy?"

"Ugh, my name is Jaune! Jaune! Not boy, not kid, no Hero, Jaune! Does anyone here know my damn name?" Jaune complained.

"You'll get a name when you get our respect, Bunny Boy. Now pay attention. It's time you finally earn your keep." The Old Man said, narrowing his eyes, or at least Jaune thought he did. It was nearly too dark to see him. He did tense however. Earn his keep? Weren't the seven missions he had already accomplished not been enough.

"What do you want?" Jaune asked in a low tone.

"Our associate, who happens to be your instructor, has given me intel on the enemies known as the Sidewinders. As pertaining to your position, the details are on a need to know basis. All you need to know is the name of your target. The man who's manufacturing these androids goes by the name of Gregory Hamilton." The Old Man explained quickly, no doubt wanting Jaune to be out of his office as soon as possible.

Jaune clenched his teeth, trying to focus his nervous thoughts. A dangerous mission his own in a foreign area that he'd never seen before? Sounded like a recipe for trouble. The risk seemed well worth the reward though. When this was over, everyone he loved be safe from them. Finding the cause of the Sidewinder's chaos, and putting it to a stop just as he promised was too good to pass up. Clearing his throat, he muttered, "So, what, do I arrest him? Bring him to you? Interrogate him?"

"Eliminate him."

Jaune's world screeched to a halt, taking his heart and breath with it. Reality just ceased to be. Nothing existed outside of those four walls. Just Jaune in his own blank space, with one word repeating in his mind. Inevitable. Killing would have come eventually. Arguments and excuses sprang out of nowhere. He wasn't ready. He couldn't do this. But nothing came out.

"Is that hesitation, boy?" The Old Man inquired. "I don't recall mercenaries ever hesitating." Jaune said nothing still, staring at his feet. He felt exposed without his chest piece to protect him. Nothing but his hoodie, jeans, and gloves survived that night. "Answer me, boy. You do know the consequences, I wager?"

That's right. He leaves, and its back to square one. All of his effort and training would have gone to waste. Options were always limited when you're backed into a corner, and he was crammed so deep in that he could almost feel the walls around him. He sighed solemnly. "When?"

"Tomorrow. Best get sleep now. Location and details will be given accordingly. This is a Thirty-thousand Lien paying job from one of my most wealthy benefactors to date. Do _not_ let me down." With that explained, he jerked his head towards the door. Jaune was halfway out before he finished, slamming it shut carelessly behind him.

The Old man sighed, rubbing his balding head. "Do you think he saw you?"

The blacked cloaked giant of a bear faunus, Jason, stepped out of the shadows of the room corner. "No." That deep voice of his permeated throughout the room, rocking his aged chest. That man was a living bass guitar. "You do, however, know that this was my mission, right?"

"You took too long." The Old Man said simply.

"I was waiting for an opportunity such as this. Gregory seldom stays at the far reaches of Vacuo. Surely you can tell him not to go." Jason insisted.

"That doesn't matter. That boy has already braved harsh conditions. He should be able to do it again."

"But with conditions such as this? And... " Jason sighed. "You know the ramifications of two mercenaries working on the same case. I don't want to kill him."

"If he's dead, then he's wasn't worth the effort. That's how the mercenary life is. You've been at this for years. You know this more than anyone. Do as you please." The Old Man possibly said, waving Jason off.

"I hope your prepared for the mess you're causing, Cornelius." Jason growled before walking to the door. "I'm going to make sure that poor boy doesn't make it there, and taint his innocence. Even if it costs him his life. I won't have another poor soul like Michael walk on only to suffer."

* * *

The Forest was quiet at night. Deathly quiet. It reminded him of how many of those forgotten mercenaries and rogues trying to stay alive laid here forgotten to time. Watching the graves was peaceful to an odd degree, but after two hours of just sitting around, he decided to get some exercise in. Staying at the top of his game would make the actual game easier.

Crocea Mors split the air around him in one wicked frontal arc. Dragging it back, he jabbed forwards, driving his sword's tip into a tree, delicately enough to poke into the bark with shattering it. Strikes lashed in turn. Uppercut, downcut, wide arc, parry, backstroke, defend, thrust. The final thrust sent him tumbling to the ground, sword clattering away from him. Jaune side, rubbing his sore neck.

"C'mon, Jaune, focus!" He shouted, slamming his fist against his knee. He picked up his sword and tried again. He closed his eyes, trying to recall that one day Michael decided to teach him how to kill.

 _When you get down to it, killing is easy, but few know how to do it right. The human body is far more fragile than people let on, and there are key vital points that are easily exploitable. The heart, lungs, spine, liver, larynx, kidneys, subclavian artery, jugular vein, and especially the brain. Targeting these areas are key for a quick, sure death. Showing no mercy is probably the best mercy you can give. It will grant those you fight a quicker death. Trust me._

A shadow of an enemy formed in his mind. Jaune lashed out in a wide arc, causing the wind around him to part, blowing a shockwave through the tufts of sleeping grass. The shadow parried, forcing Jaune to back up, placing his imaginary shield up, and thrusting his sword forward. The shadow form dodged the blow, prepared to counter, missing Crocea Mors' return trip, slashing across the bottom of its wrist, splitting its vein in two. The shadow in his mind uttered a sharp scream before dissipating in a black haze.

Simulation after simulation ran through his mind, each with varying results. All killing blows dealt cleanly. Whatever target in his head was silenced before the second blow. Sweat poured down his burning body through a rough nights work. The midnight bell rang eventually. Jaune ignored it and carried on. Sweat poured down his brow, cooled by the midnight breeze. The two o'clock bell rung before Jaune stopped, barely able to stand. He slid down the closest tree he could find, and stared at the moon, trying to catch his breath.

The shattered moon always confused him. Seperate parts were illuminated in different ways, creating an array of colors on some nights. Unconsciously, he reached out, as if trying to claim one of those bright shards for his own. He had no idea why. It calmed his mind for some odd reason. Made him think a bit more clearly of the road ahead of him.

Leaving was out of the option now. He had a commitment to fulfil. Fighting his way through seemed like the best option. He'd one of his best friends for help, maybe take him, but he couldn't trouble them. It would quick and easy. In and out. Done and done. Nothing more. None of his friends would judge him for this. They weren't like that, or he hoped they weren't. With those thoughts, he closed his eyes wafting in the cool forest air.

A bright light ruined his peace. He groaned, opening his eyes, blinking stupidedly. Sunlight poked through the trees above him. Weird, sunrises don't happen that fast, right? Growling gravelly like a drunk man facing a hangover, he pushed himself up, staring at his scroll screen. Seven Thirty-five. Jaune sighed. It was time to get moving.

The walk back to the bar took a little longer than expected. When he got there, a car was already waiting for him. Without a word, he got in and watched the lively city carry on without a care. At the airstrip, there was no one to see him off, no advice, no words of encouragement. Just a clap on the back from a random mercenary that was his pilot, a push into the ship, and a complaint from another mercenary about touting a kid around. He at least took his sickness medicine in advance.

The seat wasn't too comfortable, but it was enough. That's what it was. Enough. And he was fine with that. He couldn't afford for it to be otherwise right now. The airship took off without a hitch, and before he knew it, he was two hours into his flight before remembering how to breathe.

The Pilot didn't bother turning to him before he quickly dolled out his speech. "Alright, kid. You're heading to Famos, a small region offside from Vacuo's border. The area's surrounded by treacherous forest, but that's not the danger, small fry. There's an abandoned city by the name of Mellas. It was a nice lookin' city, kinda like Vale, but some damn crisis hit, and suddenly, the whole town's in the shitter."

"You mean it's full of Grimm? Like in Mt. Glenn?" Jaune asked, quietly.

"Sorta, yeah. But somethin' else is there too. Cause here's the thing. After that whole shebang, only seven people made it out of the town. Three of them went to the looney bin. Kept screaming about nightmares, and bad memories. Two died from some kind of disease a day afterwards, with another in quarantine. The last ones a merc now, imagine that."

"Yeah. Imagine that." Jaune muttered absentmindedly. His hand gripped his scroll, wishing he was anywhere but here, or at least Michael was here with him. A part of him was curious who that merc was that he was talking about. "Anything else?"

"I was gettin' to that." The pilot growled impatiently. "Avoid that city at all costs. As you might imagine, those seven survivors didn't get off easy. Apparently, they were just at the edge of town too. Had they been any closer, they'd be dead, or worse."

"What do you mean worse?" Jaune croaked.

"Weird thing about that city is that no one ever left." Jaune raised a brow. What kind of talk was this? "Not one. Not a single one. Nobody, but those seven. Any Hunter, Merc, rescue worker, Atlas tech, and anything in between that went in there never came out either. That place is one big ghost story in the making. I'd avoid it if I were you."

"Avoid the city if I wanna live. Got it." Jaune noted, lips pursed. Personally, he never took stock into too many horror stories. None made enough sense for him to believe in them. This wasn't much too different. It just seemed too surreal. But danger was danger. That town was a giant keep-out sign, and there was no way he was no way he was taking that with a grain of salt.

"The target is a man named Gregory Hamilton. Wipe him out without any witnesses. With your noted skills in stealth, you should be able to pull it off. Go through the forest, then hit up the hillside next to the city to avoid going through it. There's a mansion south of it. Don't worry, you won't miss it." Jaune nodded, grunting barely audibly. "Hey, kid, you listenin'? Cause I-"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you." He muttered. Clutching the seat cushion, or what was left of it, kept his mind at ease. Kept his pounding from firing out of his chest. Yesterday's exercise made his body throb, matching his heart. When his scroll rang, it made him scream, earning quite a scowl from his angry looking pilot. "S-sorry!" He called, before answer his scroll.

"Hey, Vomit Boy, how's it hanging?" Yang said casually.

"Yang? What're you doing up this early?" Jaune asked, happy to get his mind working on anything else.

"You do remember we have school, right?"

"Uh, yeah… Anyone else awake?"

"Yeah, hold that thought. Hey! Ruby! Get your little butt up already! Your boyfriends here!" A collection of groans and squeaks on the other end. "Yeah, she's not getting up anytime soon. Where the heck are you?"

"About thirty-thousand feet in the air, on my way to somewhere in Vacuo." Jaune said with a slight of pride.

"Vacuo, ey? Now that's quite a travel. Mind if we get some free rides?"

"Sorry, mercs only." Jaune said, voice cracking slightly.

"Kid, we're abo-" A light crack, probably from a faraway place, along with the parting screech of wind, and the sound of glass shattering. A red mist sprayed across the metal floor as the Pilot's head snapped back, then dropped down onto the console. The entire airship lurched suddenly, sending Jaune flying out of his chair, and onto the floor.

"Crap, crap, crap! What the-" Jaune gasped, scroll bouncing away from him. He reached out for it, only for the airship to lurch again, this time sending him flying against the wall. The back of his head slammed against the metal frame, dazing him.

"Jaune, what the hell is going on? Jaune!" Yang's voice screamed from somewhere. More came, but Jaune could barely hear her. Whatever she said was nothing but a dull ring to him. His body was flung from one corner to the other, rapid beeping echoing. Trees snapped against the airship, tearing the wall away.

"Jaune! Gimme some answers dammit! Jaune!"

"Oh no… oh no!" Jaune screamed just before impact. His head smashed against the wall as it touched down. All he remembered after that was pain and pure darkness.

* * *

 _ **Poor Jaune. He just can't have his peace, can he? Please review what you think, and I'll see you all next month!**_


	22. Chapter 22: City of Nightmares

**_NOW! To those wondering why I've been gone so long, I've been dealing with a lot of personal problems as of late. Problems that I'd rather not talk about. Even so, i didn't wanna keep this on the back burner forever. So, Event Recap._**

 ** _After getting back from his family mission, Jaune Arc was issued an assassination mission, much to his disgust. Before getting there, his pilot is shot, and he's forced to the ground, where he meets his greatest trial thus far..._**

* * *

People once told Jaune that in the final minute of their demise, a person's life flashes before their eyes. All of the accomplishments, failures, moments both amazing and tragic, everything life had to offer you in the span of a single glance. He never took it to heart until now. Maybe he was too young and uncaring, but now, he could see it. So many visions. Family, friends, loved ones, moments that he's cherished and that kept him going. Failures added to that as well. All colliding into a lightning bolt of memory firing into him all at once.

For a moment, Jaune thought he was dead. A steady throb in his chest told him otherwise. The vision's went away as soon as they came, leaving only the sound of dripping. Traces of the world bounced back and forth in his line of sight, ringing still in his ears. It took a minute, maybe more, before Jaune was able to open his eyes. He shut them immediately. Scathing pain flared through his body, especially around his left side. He opened his mouth to scream, but only a few raspy squeaks came out. He slowly opened his eyes again, and saw an arm dangling in front of him. Armored gloves. At least he was still intact.

Jaune blinked. His left arm was dangling out into open air. He was laying on his side with what was left of the wall keeping him from falling. Blood trailed down the side of his head from a jagged cut at in his left temple.

The airship was a wreck. The walls had been shredded, leaves, scraps, and treebark everywhere. The cockpit was completely flattened. Sparks fired out from open circuitry valves here and there. It was all covered in a deep red from a red alert light. He must've crashed into the side of a building. Jaune cringed looking at the cockpit thinking what the pilot's body looked like now.

Pain seared him. He winced, looking down, and nearly gagging. Sticking out of the left side of his stomach was a sharp piece of rebar. Gasping suddenly for air, he cried out in pain, on the verge of shock.

No. Calm down. Breath. Search for the silver lining. There always was at least one. The metal wasn't rusty, surprisingly, so lower chance of tetanus. No organ damage either, or he'd be dead by now. This was more of a mere flesh wound. Still, the massive amounts of blood spurting from the wound didn't make the situation feel any better. He shifted, but to his shock, the entire airship lurched forward.

Taking deep breaths, he inched further from the rebar stock, which wasn't long luckily. Aura dealt with the pain that adrenaline couldn't. He managed to lift himself completely off, crying out in pain and relief after he was done. The airship lurched again, tilting dangerously backwards. Gritting his teeth out, he carefully pushed himself to his feet, standing on the last piece holding him up. With one more lurch, the airship tilted to a near ninety degree angle, close to falling.

Several objects dangled by netting on the ceiling; Crocea Mors, an odd looking black rifle, and his survival bag. The lining snapped, releasing Crocea Mors. Jaune caught it just before it fell out into open air. The rifle came after it. Jaune caught it but its butt, just barely pinching it between his fingers along with the pack that rolled by him.

"Okay, easy does it. Easy does it. Nice and _easy!_ " Jaune cried out as the airship did a sharp shift. Clutching his side, he dove through the hole, spotting a the glass window of a building. He pivoted, kicked off the airship, and smashed through the glass just as the airship sailed past him, falling to the ground in a small explosion. Jaune rolled on the floor, straying away from the window, and ending up on his side, trying to clutch the other.

More deep breaths. Too much activity. Blood seeped through his fingers, though it was starting to stem. Aura helped but not much. Jaune's eyelids grew heavy. The pain was too much. A short nap would help. His aura always replenished when he slept. When he closed his eyes, then opened them again, he saw the night sky out the open window. He closed them again, and found the sun creeping just over the horizon.

Jaune sighed gravelly. He didn't want to get up. If he did, he would have to keep going. To kill a man. It felt better just to lie here and watch the day pass him by. But his word was at stake. His promise to Ruby to stay alive at any cost. His promise to Michael to keep growing. He had to do this. He simply had to. There was no other way.

"No way out." Jaune murmured to no one. "Not yet."

It was a struggle, but Jaune managed to force his body up. The pain was bearable. Aura had managed to neatly heal him, leaving a rather ugly looking red scar on his left side. The cut on his head healed the same way. He sighed. At least he could hide this one under his bangs unlike the small cut scar on his cheek. He slung the black semi-automatic rifle over his shoulder, letting it hang by its strap across his back, and marched on.

The building he crashed in was large, and filled to the brim with desks and papers. Even though the building had probably been abandoned and bombed-out for the last few years, there was still the slightest scent of ink in the air. Must've been some kind of office before whatever incident occurred. Claw marks mold, and dried blood stains covered the majority of the walls. Save for the crickets and random animal cries outside, it was dead silent. Dust coated the air. How long has it been since anyone stepped inside here?

While climbing his way to the stairs over the flipped over, broken desks, he fished out his scroll, and speed dialed the first number he saw. The call dropped the moment he finished. He swore and tried again, to the same result. No connection? How was that possible? There was clear communication here when he spoke to Yang. When he tried the radio function, all he got was static. He sighed bitterly, jogging down the stairs and ramming the jammed door open.

He turned around, seeing the tower for the first time. The CCT tower for the area, or what was left of it. Jaune scoffed. "Well, that answers that."

The sun had just barely risen over the trees. Trees lined the area like a fort. Jaune took a deep breath, then plunged deep into the forest. Sleeping grass clung to his jeans with every passing step. Branches and thorns halted him occasionally as well. Nature decided to give him quite a middle finger, and drop a few spiders on his head. Large ones at that, about as big as his hand. He a little louder than he wanted to, thrashing around, batting at his arms like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Okay." Jaune affirmed, making sure no more spiders were on him. "I'm caught in the middle of nowhere on a wet-working mission." He pushed past a branch, bending it back. "No radio, no support, no backup, no way out. Even if I do find my way out, I have to kill a man and take whatever he uses to contact the outside. What a fine mess you've gotten yourself in- _ow!_ " The branch snapped back, nailing him right in the nose, knocking him flat on his rear.

"Ugh, I _hate_ you nature!" Jaune screamed, covering his nose. Nature seemed to a hate him too as a fly flew up his nose. He groaned, and blew it out. "Stupid bugs. Stupid trees. Stupid mission. Stupid Jaune for not saying 'screw you, old man, I'm taking the hard way around this.'" He ranted, pushing through shrubs and bushes in his path. His stomach growled. When was the last time he had eaten? He eyed his backpack cautiously.

"Please tell me something survived." He muttered, opening his bag, hoping to find anything edible. Just as he did, something huge rushed out and latched onto his hand. Jaune could only blink.

A spider. A very, _very_ big spider.

Needless to say, Jaune could've shattered glass with his loud pitched scream.

Jerking and thrashing madly, batting away at his wrist, he knocked the spider away more unceremoniously than he would've liked. It bounced on the ground, beating a hasty retreat afterwards. Jaune sat up, clutching his thudding heart. "H-how the hell did you get in there?" Jaune squeaked. "It better not have eaten any of the food."

Luckily for him, he'd found a small supply of jerky and water, which he took a sample of, not ready to down it all. Conservation was key at this point. Burning through his supplies was probably the slowest death he could've given himself. Satisfied, he pushed himself up, and marched on.

Navigating the forest was childsplay. Treacherous survival training in this field had done quite a bit of good in that regard. Judging by sight and scent, finding the correct path through the forest without getting lost was almost too easy. Tree marking wasn't even necessary at this point. Grimm appeared from time to time. A Creep here, a Beowolf there, and maybe an Ursa, but nothing too major. Jaune handled them with ease, slicing past them and moving on.

The density of the forest began to wane. A semblance of a road could be made out in the dirt. Tire tracks plunged through the dirt from what looked like a lifetime ago. Following it, he found a large wall with a large circular entrance covered to the brim with rotting boards. Jaune bit his lip, suddenly feeling tense and alert. Sweat poured down his brow, not caused by the heat. Just beyond that boarded gate was a graveyard, a living ghost story, a place of no return. No one's come out of there alive. With any luck, the mountain pass next to the entrance wouldn't get him any closer to this place than he had to.

Oddly enough, between the boards, a weird, thick-looking silk had woven around it, twisting and turning around the cracks. Jaune brushed his fingers against it. Some came off in his hand, sticking stubbornly to his fingers. With a little effort, he had managed to get it off. He gulped. Just spiders. It was just spiders. Nothing to worry about. But since when did spiderwebs ever get this thick? He could've fired a shot and probably had it bounce off like some cartoon. Jaune took to the path next to the gate, traversing up a small mountainside.

Hours passed. The cliff skyrocketed in height before his very eyes, or so it felt. Jaune gulped, flattening his body against the cliffside, hugging the stone wall for all it was worth. Between him and about a good eight or so inches of foot space was a good hundred meter sheer drop. Death guaranteed. Not a very good way to go. There was barely room for his large frame to shuffle around. The winds picked up suddenly, nearly sending him off the side of the cliff. He cried out, clutching it for dear life, until it ceased.

"I swear, everything wants me dead." Jaune rasped, catching his breath. A sharp screech behind him made his heart skip a beat. Jaune recognized it, and cringed. "Oh c'mon!" He shouted in frustration. Behind him was a Nevermore, soaring closer and closer to him. With nothing between the two but a ravine, Jaune was easy pickings for the Nevermore. There was nowhere to go, and no movement on that thin stretch of rock. So, he did the first thing that came to mind.

He took the leap of faith.

Taking a few deep breaths, he pushed himself off the side of the cliff, free falling into the ravine. By a quick surge of luck, the Nevermore had swooped under him, hoping to catch its meal before it hit the ground. Jaune kicked off the rock wall as he was descending, did an awkward backflip, then jammed his sword into the Nevermore's back as it was rising. The Nevermore stopped dead in the air, shrieking horribly in pain, before spinning around and spiraling down past the ravine.

Jaune held onto its jagged feathers for dear life, wrenching the sword every so often, forcing the Grimm away from the walls. Just as he thought things couldn't get any worse, a large building stood in his way. Swearing loudly, he gripped the hilt, and pulled it down like a lever as hard as he could. The Nevermore's head swung up, turning into a makeshift shield. They pushed through the building, spraying glass a debris everywhere, and crash landed into a house somewhere close by. Jaune had long since jumped off, and hit the asphalt before impact.

"Riding Grimm." He muttered, brushing himself off. "That definitely wasn't on the bucket list, but who am I to complain." It was disturbing him how well he was taking all of this.

Then Jaune froze. The situation hit him like a speeding dump truck as he looked around his surroundings. Buildings sprawled about, bombed-out, decimated, missing windows, and even had fire spewing out from some. Destroyed cars, cracked and shattered gravel, Ash colored the sky black and tinted red, with no bit of the true sky shone. Shivers ran down his spine. Another thing that hit him was the smell. That smell of rot, burning wood and smoke. It was deathly quiet, save for the crackling of fire. There was no way around it.

He was in Mellas, the living ghost story.

Jaune drew in several raspy, rattled breaths as he stared around his surroundings. No living soul around. No CCT tower to call for help. The place was probably filled to the brim with Grimm, running amok and unchecked throughout the years. He was on the verge of panic, repeatedly wiping the sweat off of his brow. A sharp roar nearly made him scream. Another inhuman shriek echoed from another direction. Another behind him, some distance away. Clutching his head in fear, he tried to stop the shaking, panic flaring.

No. Stop. Calm down. He knelt to ground on one knee, and shut his eyes tight in focus. There was no way that panicking was going to solve anything. Those roars sounded far away if anything. They barely even sounded like Grimm. From the looks of things, he was in the middle of the city, possibly on the left corner. Walking straight through the city would probably be best. He took a deep breath, then another. His heartbeat slowed. Good. Time to get moving.

Slinging his new rifle over his shoulder, and straightening his hoodie, he marched through the deserted, broken streets. The silence was deep enough for him to hear his footsteps. Sounds barely fazed him right now. They were just background noise. He continued on slowly for another ten minutes before he stopped, noticing an odd detail.

Silk was everywhere. The same silk that he had seen at the entrance. Thickly woven and dangerously strong, it had entangled around stop signs, building windows, shrouded around vehicles, and even draped across tall buildings. It looked like spider silk if anything.

Jaune's heart skipped a beat. Spider silk. That's what all of this was. Whatever left this behind must've been enormous. He suddenly felt the need to pick up the pace, but stopped again soon afterwards. A steady mist bordered around a section. Jaune gulped, fear rising again. He took a few deep breaths, swallowed his fear, and took his first step in.

He wasn't even three footsteps in before the clicking started. Sickening, rhythmic clicking that sounded almost wet. His hand shot directly for Crocea Mors hilt, stiff and shaken. The clicking came from in his side. No, it was from the front. Behind him? No. It was everywhere in the mist. Slow moving shadows shifted inside the haze. Out of the gloom made Jaune's heart leap out of his throat.

Spiders. White and black Grimm spiders everywhere, each the size of a small car. Dozens of them everywhere as far as the eye could see, with green venom dripping from their fangs, and mandibles clicking together wretchedly. They were all fast approaching him, maws open and drooling for his flesh.

Jaune wasted no time. He took off, shield raised, bashing through the wall of a department storm, vaulting over the counter, and kept on going, pushing through whatever else was in his path. He pushed through the back door, breaking the metal door off its hinges, and turned the corner into an alleyway.

More spiders, crawling along the walls of the alleyway. Jaune broke to a halt, then sprinted off into another direction. Minutes ran by. So many sharp turns, so many Grimm at every corner. No matter where he turned, there was always more of them, some bigger than the last. There were too many to fight. Dodging and weaving around, he stopped at a street corner to catch his breath where he spotted something. A CCT tower. It was charred at the top, and somewhat desolate looking, but it was his best option at the moment.

After kicking the door down, he raced to the top, ending up in the main communication area. No lights were on. The meters stayed put at the bottom. In a rush, Jaune flicked all the switches he could, hoping at least something would happen. Nothing. The tower was dead. Jaune sunk to his knees, fear and hopelessness creeping up his system. He turned and leaned his back against the console, bumping the back of his head on it, catching his breath.

He caught a glimpse outside through the dusty window, and gaped in horror. What must've been the downtown district was filled to the brim with Grimm spiders and webs. Barely anything left of them stood out anymore. Cocoons of silk dangled streetlamps, displays, and anything else that just so happened to be sticking out. Jaune didn't want to know who or what were inside them. The most horrific of all was a absurdly large spider that seemed to stretch out across the entirety of the building.

That so happened to be around the only exit he could see, a tunnel across the downtown district. How Jaune saw it, there was no way of getting past them without alerting the entire nest. It was almost meaningless to leave the building at all at this point. His eyes grew heavy. Before he knew it, he was out once again like a light.

* * *

" _The winner is Jaune Arc."_ _Glynda Goodwitch said, mildly impressed._

 _Those words put Jaune in the deepest daze he could've ever gone in. Until now, 'winner' and Jaune Arc' never went into the same sentence. No one thought that Beacon's Worst Student could pull off a victory right under their noses, yet here it was. He stood, blade's edge pressing against Cardin's bare throat, armor chipped and battered, mace flung to the corner of the room, and a broken nose caused by quite an unfortunately accurate shield bash._

 _Jaune's matches were often set in stone. So stuck in the same monotony that students barely paid attention. Some were on their scrolls, passing the time by until he bit the dust. Others watched with vacant eyes, barely paying attention. Some were even asleep. This phenomena was so unique that the entire classroom was put into a complete halt. Mouths everywhere were agape. Several scrolls hit the floor. No clapping, no cheering, no groans, just pure silence except for one section of the room._

 _Roars and cheers were heard from two teams in the room. Ruby, Yang, Nora, and Pyrrha were out of their seats, happily screaming his name. Ren was still seated, but was smiling and clapping pretty enthusiastically. Blake and Weiss kept their respective discipline, but offered him smiles all the same. Jaune shuddered in excitement, sheathing Crocea Mors, and running into the crowd. They all rushed to hug him, Ruby making it first of course._

 _Goodwitch scoffed. Normally, this kind of roughhousing wasn't allowed in her class, but for the sake of the boys first victory in his three months in the Academy, he deserved this. At least for five more minutes._

 _It lasted way longer than five minutes though. The euphoria went way into the night, where their teams set up a party in JNPR's room. Jaune Arc's first victory. Definitely a reason to celebrate. Right when Yang cranked out the strawberry sunrise, Jaune slipped away, strolling down Beacon's deserted halls, way past curfew, out onto the rooftops. He stared blissfully at the shattered moon, feeling like he was floating on cloud nine until Ruby, in her pajamas tapped his shoulder, and sat next to him._

" _Way to go, Jaune. Guess we can start catching up to your losses, huh?" She said, playfully nudging her shoulder into his._

" _It always starts with one." Jaune managed, brushing his hand through his hair nervously. Ruby smiled brightly at him. That winning smile from the girl that gave him all the support and friendship he could've ever wanted. Kind-hearted, charismatic, easygoing, and fun to be around, as well as surprisingly mature and wise. He would've been lost here without her._

" _Way to go, seriously. And getting one up on Cardin of all people must've felt pretty wicked." Ruby said with a hint of relishment._

" _Who's the wimp now, bird-boy." Jaune quipped._

" _Don't let it go to your head, 'kay? One win doesn't mean you can take on the world." Ruby warned._

 _Jaune rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Ms. Prodigy."_

" _Stop it." Ruby whined, batting Jaune over the head with her fist. Staring at the shattered moon with him, she leaned back onto the rooftop. "Are we meeting up at the tree again?"_

" _Definitely. I'll bake the cookies this time. The last thing we need is another fire in the kitchen."_

 _Ruby cringed in annoyance. "That was_ one _time, Jaune."_

" _You burnt them so badly that Yang confused them for charcoal that fell outta the fireplace." Jaune said, snickering. "Seriously. Yang actually knocked Cardin out with one of those. I watched her do it. He was out until the next day. It was awesome."_

 _Ruby puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. "Whatever, Vomit Boy. Whenever you get rid of that motion sickness, gimme a call."_

 _Jaune leaned back as well. A friendly silence followed. After a while, Jaune asked, "So, Rubes, do you think I can keep this up? Y'know, win more battles?" Silence. Jaune sighed. "You know you can be honest with me… Rubes?" Jaune looked to the side to find her gone. Scratching his head in confusion, he looked around and found that all the lights across the building were off. The window he crawled out of was shut. Jaune felt fear crawl up his system. "Ruby, whatever your trying, its not funny!"_

" _Child."_

 _Jaune's back went fully erect at the sudden call. Against his will, he walked to the edge of the building. Nothing over the edge. No, there was a full sheet of darkness where the courtyard was supposed to be. Nothing else as far as the eye could see. The dark haze rose slowly alongside the building, swallowing everything it drifted over until there was nothing left. Jaune cried out, eyes wide in terror, bouncing and tripping onto his rear. He wanted to scramble away, but where could he go?_

" _Boy, I can feel you." The voice called from the darkness. A woman's voice. Cold, savage, cruel, and fraught with anger, but had a certain motherly care to it. "I feel your pain." The dark haze drifted over the side of the rooftop, dragging towards Jaune. "I feel your fear." The shadows licked at Jaune's limps. They were colder than ice. "I feel your regret, your remorse, your reluctance." The shadows wrapped slowly around his torso. He gasped for air, but couldn't catch it. "Most of all, I feel your rage."_

" _W-who are you?" Jaune croaked. "What do you want from me?"_

" _I want to save you." The voice said simply. "You are desperate. You are in pain. All to make the world a safer place. To make people love you. But what is the point?" The shadows breached around his neck, strangling him. He could barely breathe. "What have they done to deserve someone like you. Why do you sacrifice so much for its safety when it mocks and kills you when all is said and done? Come with me. I can give you purpose."_

" _Purpose?" Jaune repeated to himself, biting his lip to take his mind off the shivering cold. "Why would I…. who would… I have reasons to keep on fighting."_

" _Why then? For your family's safety, who kept you locked in the shadows, hoping you'd fade away as just another problem they swept under the carpet? Your friends, who abandoned you without a second thought? Your teacher who wants nothing to do with you? You are alone in this world, Jaune. Surely and truely. And that is perfectly alright." The voice said. He could've swore he saw a hand creeping along the side of his face. A stark white hand covered in bulging black veins that throbbed persistently._

" _Stop it." He gasped, blinking tired and painful tears out of his eyes._

" _They won't see your pain because they don't want to. You'll see very soon just how little you mean to them all. But I swear I will give you a purpose. A true goal to work for." Two crimson eyes gleamed from the shadows. "Tell me, boy. Would you like to become a hero?"_

 _Jaune balked, swallowing the hard ball of spit in his mouth. The darkness creeped over his head, shrouding him in darkness. Voices repeated that word in sickening repetition. Hero. Hero Hero. Hero. Hero. Hero!_

* * *

"Stop it! Get the hell away from me!" Jaune screamed at the rusted wall. He blinked, sniffing and wiping the stray tears out of his eyes, letting out rattled breaths. What on Remnant was that? That beautiful memory dwarfed into some terrible nightmare. He could still feel that chill in his system. That voice was still ringing in his ears. His heart hammered madly in his chest.

After a minute of careful breathing, he managed to calm himself to where he could think clearly. What were the problems he was facing again? He was stuck at the top of a deactivated CCT tower, in a city full of a web of deadly spider Grimm, possibly numbering in the thousands. All the exits were surrounded. Not many places to run either, at least on the ground.

Shaking off the last feeling of dread away, Jaune pushed himself up, and stared out the observatory window. Spider's still lined the bottom circuit, webs lining the streets. Jaune narrowed his eyes. There were seemingly not that many spiders on the rooftops. Staring across the rooftops, a map formed around in his head. It was a stretch, but if he managed to stay across the higher portions of the city, he might be able to avoid a lot of the clutter.

Jaune scoffed. Was he really about to do this? Charge through a city of evil Grimm spiders all on his own? This all felt like a mad dream. Even so, if he wanted to live, this was the best way. Better to push through than wait for help that'll never come.

Jaune took a deep breath, swallowing down the fear and despair he felt. Slamming his shield through the solid window, shattering it completely, he took an experimental step outside, staring over the edge. Steeling himself, he took a few steps back, held his breath, and sprinted towards the end, jumping out the window. The open air rushed through his hair. It took about ten or so seconds for him to land deftly onto a building a short ways away.

The moment he landed, he went into a mad dash, pushing through whatever was in his way. Using the slight amount of parkour skill he had learned from Michael, Jaune jumped, slid, and vaulted from building to building, slicing apart whatever insectoid Grimm that dared try to stop him. The exit was in sight, a large opening in the wall, with small bits of silk-covered rubble surrounding it.

Jaune clenched his teeth. One way out. Whether or not it was covered with spider silk, rubble, or Oum knows what and completely blocked off was anyone's guess. Jaune just had to take his chances, and keep charging forward.

With one good leap, he cleared the rooftop, and barrel-rolled onto the asphalt. Shield raised, he charged forward, aura focused into every portion of his body. With the speed of a bullet, he bashed through whatever Grimm was in the way, shattering rubble, and breaking through web. The darkness of the tunnel did scare him at first, but he got used to it fast. The light at the end of the tunnel was enough to keep him going. Heart hammering away, breath ragged, he pushed on until he made it out of the cave, flopping onto his hands and knees afterwards.

One of the Grimm made it through the gateway, hissing and spitting at him. Its legs jabbed away at him, piercing through the dirt like daggers. Jaune rolled from side to side, blocking a few jabs with his shield. Swiftly, Jaune slid from under them, right under the spider, cutting away at his legs, one after the other, before stabbing upwards, tearing the beast cleanly in half. It collapsed into ash over him.

Quickly, he lit his hand aflame with his newfound power, the slapped his hand against the stone gateway. With a sharp boom, a destructive, reverabting shockwave that blasted Jaune back, and a loud crack, the archway shattered, bringing down the entire hallway down, spraying dust everywhere. The entryway was sealed off completely, covered in a pile of rocks. No way those spiders would crawl through to meet him.

There was nothing but a forest ahead of him, along with a scarcely traveled path. Jaune spared a tired glance back at the pile. He didn't think they'd try to crawl over and break through. They probably wanted to stay in there group and not wander off too far. A true herd mentality if he ever saw one. Jaune stumbled a good distance away before stopping to lean against a tree.

Reality hadn't set in just yet. Jaune just had to make sure. Heartbeat? Still there. Breathing? A little ragged but still there. Body? Still functioning. Brain? Intact… maybe. That was that. He was alive. Jaune broke out into a sudden, almost manic laughter. "Ha! See that? Not even Mellas can kill me! What else do you have for me, world?" Jaune shouted at the air, almost sarcastically. When there was no answer, he chuckled ruefully, then stood up, walking down the path to his targets humble abode.

That dream was still stuck in his head. Those words, that woman, the darkness that followed, it all felt too real. Almost as if something was waiting for him, calling for him, enticing him to a path that seldom travel. It was exciting, scary, and thrilling to think about it. The scariest part was how she described his suffering. Everything that made him who he was now. The words themself weren't the scary part. He didn't believe they were true.

The scary part was that he knew deep down that he'd feel that way one day.

* * *

 _ **thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and trust me, the next one won't come nearly as late. Ciao, please review what you thought!**_


	23. Chapter 23: Blood In Your Hands

_**Goooooddamn its been a while. To those who missed me, I'm sorry. I'll explain at the end of the chapter. For now, enjoy!**_

* * *

The strong scent of alcohol pushed and pulled Michael back and forth from his stupor. Rocking steadily on his barstool kept his eyelids drooping too far. Propped arms kept his face from the table. The last thing he wanted was his face anywhere near it, with his heightened senses picking up spilt beer, vomit, and the Gods know what else. Nights of forgone sleep was hitting hard this time. No pills or coffee could've helped much. What he wouldn't give to take off right now, but a deal was a deal. Roman did him a service, so it was only fair to do him one back. Even if it brought back unpleasant memories.

The bar was somewhat empty. Another man, probably even more dead than he was, lay face planted on the table, vodka bottle in hand, and swears under his breath. Two others played pool in the back. Other than that, he was alone on this cold night. Chills ran up and down his spine. The striking breeze drifted through the door, letting all the cold air in. No wonder no one wanted to stay in. This was where snowmen came to drink, not people just trying to drown their sorrows. Stains covered the painted concrete walls, with smeared paintings everywhere, crooked and cracked. Nothing out of the ordinary in a bar like this.

The person he was waiting for took their sweet time. Of course. They always did, thinking he had all the time in the world. He still had that kid to go back to. Who knows what kind of trouble that brat was getting himself into. Whatever happened to him could cost him a very good job. The kid too. He still had things going for him, especially with the information he had just received. Information that might not be his sooner or later.

A nice little perk of his Semblance was a large boost in his awareness levels. From a hundred meters out, he knew where everything was without looking, and could trace aura signatures from that distance. He could feel every single ant in a hill, even though it gives him a major headache. Someone mildly powerful was approaching. He re-checked his weapons and his wallet, making sure they were where they were supposed to be just in case he needed to dash.

The door swung open, and in walked a devilishly beautiful, fair-skinned woman with long, black wavy hair, tossed over one side of her shoulder. Her attire was all hidden underneath a large coat that went down to her knees, and thick boots. Michael could feel her eyes boring into the back of his head. It was then that he noticed just how tense he was. Not moving for upwards up to five minutes? Keeping hands clasped, staring at the table? Not touching the bourbon in front of him? All marks of an amature who had no idea how to act natural. Man, he really needed sleep. Even so, the woman's familiar face brought a smile to his own. He nodded his head towards her. "Cindy."

A confident, dominant smile stretched onto her face. "Happy Cat. A pleasure to meet you here."

"Likewise." He pushed aside his shot glass, turning over on his stool to face her. The beautiful titan of a woman still had a charm that drove him mad. "What brings you here? Aside from my devilishly handsome good looks." He joked.

"Business. I have a personal request to you. Emerald will be here shortly for her own set from Roman." She strolled to the stool next to him, adding an extra sway to her hips as she did. "Is it too late to convince you to come back?"

He chuckled. "Ms. Fall, I spent a year trying to fight my way out of that mess. The last thing I want is to go back in."

Cinder cocked a grin, tugging lightly on his twin-tailed white scarf. "And yet Ozpin has you in the palm of his hands."

"Just because he has something I desperately need. If not, I'd have cut all my ties with that mad hatter a long time ago." He rightened himself in his stool, feeling more somber. "You can leave this game anytime you want, you know that? I did… somehow."

"And look where it left you? She cursed you, Cat. How much time have you got left?" She asked impatiently. You had to dig deep, but there was concern in there too. Her skills as an actress have only gotten better with time.

"I have enough time." Michael firmly said. "I'm not dead yet, eh?"

Cinder stared him down. "Everything would've been better if you just listened to me. Your confidence is going to be the death of you." She sighed into her hand. "Even so, I still have my demands. Meet me at the DiAngelo Coffee shop in Vale at six. Be late, and there will be consequences." Without waiting for an answer, she turned, walking towards the door, hips a-sway, then vanished in a small funnel of ashes and sparks, leaving only a pile of cinders in her wake. Michael shook his head, grinning. The nerve of that woman. It wasn't long before the door opened again, revealing a pretty, dark-skinned woman with bright green hair and a large coat.

"Are you gonna drag more cold air in, or are you gonna rob me already?" Michael called, slowly looking back at her. The green haired girl smirked at him. He sighed. "Emerald, what're you doing here?"

"Just to stand in for a friend." She answered rather quickly. She took the seat next to him and downed the bourbon in front of him, much to his distaste. "Not bad, Mickey. You really know how to choose a good drink."

"And you really know how to work my last nerve." Michael retorted. "Alright, I'm here. What do you all want from me?"

"Nothing much. We all just want some information. Roman does at least." Emerald said, settling down into the chair next to him. Michael scoffed.

"What? A new kind of mascara to use? I don't think he needs it. Have you seen those lashes? I could tear them off and kill Grimm with them." Michael barbed back.

Emerald grinned. A fake one probably. There was nothing truly legitimate about her. "Information about this kid your babysitting. He's friends with that little red who made his plan go up in flames. We wanted to know more about them."

Michael placed a hand on his chin, miming thought. "So, you want me to go to my student, bully him for information on a few kids that kicked your royal asses, then give a crime boss said information, so he can do Oum knows what kind of unsavory stuff." He clarified. Emerald nodded. He sighed. "Can we just pretend for one moment that I'm not sick?"

"I wouldn't talk like that, Mickey. You owe us, remember?" She said, eyes narrowed.

"I owe you? No. I paid my due, and I saw a familiar face just as Red Romeo wanted me to. I'm just sorry it had to be your flat ass." Michael fired back, standing up, and kicking his chair in. "I've got a more important duty, and no time for you. See ya."

Emerald's hand gripped his, stopping him. "Are you sure you wanna do this? Think about it. We've got more than enough dirt on you."

Michael scoffed. "Lady, me just being a mercenary alone is enough of a charge to get me sent to Atlas Maximum Security Prison until I'm worm food. Now, tell your boss, Remnant's next top model, to take my dirt, and his compensation stick, and shove it right up his rusty bullet hole. I want none of it. Now, if you'll excuse me." He yanked his hand away, and teleported away, right outside the building.

The biting cold snapped the stupor right out of him. Droves of snow relentlessly attacked him, piling at his feet to join the collection below. Aura stopped the shivers from overtaking him, heating him with his own power. The village he was in was rather small and primitive, with ornate, wooden housing surrounded by forests. Nothing special. Nothing new. Another town to blend in the murky mess that was his headspace. What surprised him the most was the lack of people.

Atlas weather was nothing to be trifled with. Often, conditions were too difficult to live in, at least willingly. Be it the bitter cold, or constant Grimm attacks, there was always a reason not to stay, some better than others. This town seemed no different then. Even so, there were certainly many more dangerous villages with many more living in them. The only people he saw back in the bar. Apart from a few in their homes, none walked the streets, at noon no less. It almost seemed played out.

Then he felt something. Something approaching that wasn't alive. His first thought was Grimm, as they lacked an aura signature to feel and track, but this sounded different. It sounded like footsteps. He turned to the forest, and found what he was looking for.

A Sidewinder.

Green and black stood out strikingly in the pure white snow. No camouflage, no room for a quick retreat, nothing that could give any semblance of a tactical advantage. If there was one thing Michael had to hand it to other Sidewinders was how smart they were. How they planned their attack right to the smallest detail and executed it fluidely. This certainly wasn't the case. The gathering pile of snow told him that it'd been standing there for a while, but why?

Whatever the case, the Sidewinder was there, standing right in front of him, practically on its knees pleading to be attacked. Michael was just happy enough to oblige. Oblivion flew from its sheath, splitting through the air fast enough to turn the falling snow to mist. His body flew forward faster than the blink of an eye, and closed in on the robot. One downward strike, and it should be all over. Let the eggheads that follow clean up whatever mess he made.

Something happened then. Something that never happened before. Michael froze, nearly held in midair, trying to force bodyweight into a strike that wasn't going anywhere. Oblivion's serrated blade was trapped between the robots two fingers, braced just under its shoulder. The strike had been strong enough to make a shockwave ripple out, making a crater in the snow around them, but it held on as if it were the equivalent of a paper weight. Before he could question it, a powerful kick sent him sailing through a tree, and left him implanted in another while the first fell next to him.

"Okay… ow." Michael rasped painfully, clutching his throbbing ribs. Nothing broken thankfully. A shadow loomed over him. His head snapped up. With a loud swear, he teleported onto the roof of a small cabin, watching an explosion of snow from a distance, as well as a falling tree. "That thing is dynamite, holy shit. Must've gotten some upgrades."

A sound called off behind him, one so familiar that it made him freeze. It was the sound of his own Semblance. He turned and saw the robot behind him, fist raised.

"Wha-" Michael was cut off when its metal fist slammed across his cheek. The force sent him hurtling to the ground from the roof, smashing into the snow in an explosion of white. Skidding across the snow, trying to stop his momentum, the Sidewinder was on him again, standard issue katana raised. Carefully crossing both of his blades, he blocked the blow, making him skid further back. The two skid across the ice and snow, striking and parrying each other, getting a feel for their styles. Using his momentum, he back-flipped, tossing several small dust crystals out, lighting up the front of him with a large ball of roaring fire.

The Sidewinder charged through the blaze, barely moving fast enough for Michael see. He kicked off the ground, and struck out to meet him. The two blitzed around the ground and air, faster than the eye could see, striking each others blades hard enough to create shockwaves. A midair sideswipe of the Sidewinder's katana blasted Felix away, through a wooden cabin, and out the other side. He grit his teeth, feeling his violet aura flicker across his body. He was in the red. A few more blows, and he'd be vulnerable.

As the Sidewinder closed in for another blow, Michael teleported away behind another cabin, flattening himself against the wood. Plans flew through his head, one after the other. Nothing that could help him, however. The robot matched him physically in every way, right down to his Semblance, somehow, only it didn't have to run on aura to defend itself, relying instead on its seemingly steel-plated chassis that Michael nicked away at.

A metal hand suddenly shot out of the wooden wall behind him, snaking around to meet his neck. He teleported away before it wrapped around him. He landed in the middle of the courtyard, Oblivion held on standby. There was only one good way to end this now. He had just enough aura for this trick. All he needed to do was time it right.

The Sidewinder outright flew over to him, feet barely grazing the ground, katana raised. Michael jabbed Guardian into the ground, firing aura into it. A transparent shield forcefully sprang, smacking the Sidewinder's entire body, stopping it in its tracks. Using the remainder of his available aura, he pumped Oblivion full of power, making it vibrate. With a roar, he struck out, hitting its waistline with a strong side-swipe. The aura filled blade cut through the steel like butter, splitting the robot in half.

Red. Red everywhere. Warmth hit Michael's face and stuck to his shirt and jacket. The two halves spewed a copious amount of blood, staining the snow, and flopped to the ground, several meters away from each other. Michael stood in shock, wiping blood off of his face. The shock wore off quickly, a testament to his experience, and he rushed to his scroll, quickly dialing his clients number.

"Ozpin, answer…" He growled, tapping his foot, wary of the encroaching blood pool.

"I hope you have good news." Ozpin said immediately after picking up the call.

"I just… killed someone." Michael rasped.

"Oh my. How unfortunate." He said sadly. "But this cannot be something new to you? While I do not approve, I thought you were a mercenary."

"No, no… just… look." He took a quick photo of both sides of the body and sent it out.

"Michael! For the love of Oum, this is-" Ozpin froze, probably pondering what he was looking at. "That is a Sidewinder android, correct?"

"Without a doubt. It didn't speak a word, but it fought like a demon. I'm surprised I didn't catch it." He muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I've fought dozens of these things and dropped them all like flies over the last few months. This one? It was like fighting a veteran hunter. Strong, fast, clever in its fighting, oddly creative. It was just too human."

"Apparently. This is very strange." Ozpin said almost distantly, "Put your scroll to your blade. Analyze the blood, and send the data to me." Michael did just that, keeping a close eye out for any pedestrians. Still nothing. There was a lot of keyboard clicking and waiting before Ozpin gasped shortly. "What's up, teach?"

Ozpin cleared his throat. "This man's name is Walter Guinness, a hunter from Vacuo. But that can't be right."

"How so? I just fought and killed him."

"Michael, Walter Guinness has been dead for five years."

Michael froze, biting his lip. "You're serious?"

"Completely." Ozpin replied grimly. "And before you question my logic, tell me. Did he use your Semblance? I suppose he did. His Semblance was the ability to copy others, and use it against them."

"You're telling me, I just killed a deadman?" Those words felt strange coming out. The dead coming back to life and attacking? That was something out of a nightmare. But it happened somehow. The blood proved it. He sucked in a breath. "I think I need another drink."

"I think you've had enough." Ozpin said tersely. "Listen, I'll bring this to the attention of the Atlas Corp. If the Sidewinders are using the children as proxies, then we may need to exercise non-lethal force. But therein lies the question. How can we tell them apart?"

"Definitely not how I did just now." Michael said, grimacing at the corpse. "I'll look into this a bit more. I'll contact you if I learn anything." With that, he hung up. He groaned, taking a knee and clutching his rips. Blood dripped off of his busted lip. Their little squabble had nearly destroyed the town. Several wooden cabins were reduced to splinters. Snow was kicked up in every direction. Trees lie on their sides every which way. The standard kind of collateral for a standard mission. The only thing left to do was head back, and hope that the kid was okay.

* * *

Sneaking, by Arc standards, was always dishonorable. Part of that was the reason Jaune's little excursion to Beacon Academy was hated by his father for a while. It was quite a shame that sneaking around is what he acceled. The several missions he'd been on proved that no matter the base or terrain, stealth was always on his side. Better to keep the heat off of you than go out loud and proud, hoping that numbers don't overwhelm you, or you happen to find someone even stronger than you. Mercenary's get no backup after all.

Escaping the forest was the easy part. The trail picked up the moment he got out of Mellas. Evading soldiers however, there came the difficulty. Shortly after he left that hell hole behind, soldiers were sprinkled out in an almost random fashion, armed to the teeth. Figures. Paranoid creators of powerful androids would probably have their own private army. Sneaking past them wasn't too hard. It just involved a lot of common sense. Don't run in front of the enemy if you don't want to be seen. Not tripping on vines and falling out your ass helped too.

The standard military crawl helped a lot too. A part of him was glad that his chest-piece had broken during his fight with the Grimm in his hometown, leaving him with just his hoodie. Keeping his chest to the ground, he shifted along the dirt like a snake in the grass. Eventually, structures came into view, poking just over the gloom. It was an estate, large in size, and ornamented elaborately. With how the building looked, it could have been an oasis in the desert. The man he was looking for was in there. The man he had to kill.

A dull throb went through his skull again, brief but still there. There were still echoes of her voice there, taunting him. Making him doubt himself. That nightmare felt so real. It blended too well with Mellas to not be real. The voice knew him better than he knew himself, right down to his deepest, darkest emotions. He took a deep breath. Best not think about that now. Not when so much as twitching in the wrong direction would get a whole lot of attention shoved on him.

Guards lined each corner, snapping their rifles to anything that moved. There were no windows that weren't barred. Breaking them would gather too much attention. There was only one open door, and four guards were posted in front. If he wanted in, he'd have to deal with them first. Quietly, he crept along the forest's edge, careful not to leave anything poking out until he reached the side of the building. He picked up a rock, bounced it in his hand, then tossed it at the house, garnering two of the guards attention.

"You." He said, pointing at the small guard next to him. "On me. We're checking the area."

"Yes sir." The other said, rather nonplussed. Apparently, not too many things happen around their warrant any excitement. Both marched towards where Jaune hid, behind the long grass. The moment they stepped into his territory, he made his move.

Jaune sprang out, catching the closest guard to him by the arm, snaked his arm between his legs, lifted him high, and brought him down hard onto the dirt and stone ground. The man was knocked out instantly. The other didn't even have to time to react before Jaune hopped onto his back, twisted, bringing the soldier down onto his stomach, placing him in a chokehold. The man was unconscious almost a minute later. Jaune sighed in relief. That at least worked. Now the other two.

Carefully, he pushed the two unconscious men into the undergrove, hoping they wouldn't wake up before he was done. With them out of the way, he crept out of the undergrowth. The final two were just at arms distance, far from their line of sight-

 _Crack!_

The soldier's head snapped back, red mist and other unmentionables spraying out from the back of his head, and spraying against the wall. He flopped lifelessly right on top of Jaune, much to his horror. The second soldier nearly snapped his neck turning to Jaune, looking completely shocked.

"I-Intru-" The man was drowned out by another gunshot, firing directly through the side of his head. Jaune watched him fall to the ground, mouth agape, dirty face covered in sweat. Clenching his teeth, he reallined himself quickly, shoving the dead body off of him, and rolling to his feet. Another gunshot. Jaune reacted by instinct, yanking Crocea Mors from its sheath, and blocking the sniper round with the flat of his blade. Two more fired. One Jaune jerked his head to dodge, the other was cut out of the air. The final shot made him barrel roll back into the building, where he hid behind the wall.

Stealth be damned. Someone had found him. That someone was gunning for his head. Soldiers were in so much of a scramble in an attempt to find the sniper that they drifted by him when he hid in small corners as they passed. A siren began blaring throughout the facility, making his ears ring. To avoid a few more soldiers running by, Jaune kicked open a door, and dove into it, slamming it shut behind him and swiftly locking it.

The room was dark, save for a flickering monitor light at the far corner of the room. It was dead silent. Jaune slid down the wall, gasping for air. Dust, grime and mud clung to his ripped clothes, hair, and skin. Various peoples blood, and some of his own, stained his clothing, with some splattered against his face, like some sort of macabre facial art. He was drenched from head to toe in sweat and dirty water from the earlier rain. At the very least, this was a relatively safe place to rest for the time being.

Truth be told, he didn't know how much more he could take. This mission dragged far more of his humanity and sanity out of him than he could have ever imagined, and it still wasn't over yet. The only thing keeping him going was what waited for him on the other side, back home. Where Ruby, Yang Michael, and his team was. Doing this job stops them from being in danger. No more Sidewinders. No more risk for Ruby being captured. No one else will be taken. That was worth the blood on his hands. With that though it in mind, he shifted up, grunting and groaning, trying to keep his balance.

"The barge is blocked? You can't be serious!" Jaune's eyes shot open. A terrified voice shrieked across the room. Did he not notice another person in here? "No, no, no, open up the barge now, dammit! And make sure my Sidewinders are operational! I refuse to die here when there's so much more to do!"

Jaune sucked in a breath when he saw the man standing in front of the computer monitor. His normally dignified outlook was replaced by one of a scared child, looking for nearest exit. His well groomed hair was a complete mess, with strands sticking out, and some drifting over his sweaty, pale face. The silver name tag on his lab coat confirmed Jaune's fear.

Gregory Hamilton.

Instant headrush. Jaune grit his teeth, and stood up, drawing Crocea Mors. Every step felt like weights were dragging him down, as well as the tight pressure in his chest. The tip of his sword tapped the ground, alerting him to Jaune's presence. Gregory spun around, eyes wide in terror.

"Y-you! You're the… no. Don't do it." Gregory pleaded, backed against the corner. Jaune froze. Begging. There was no preparing for begging. Jaune took several deep breaths, remembering why he was here. That man was causing everyone pain. This was his mission. There's no going back. One quick clean cut, and it would be over in seconds.

"Just… please don't move." Jaune said slowly. "I don't want to miss."

Before Gregory could speak, Jaune surged forward, becoming a blur, and stabbed Gregory dead in the chest. A direct shot to the heart. The older man froze, eyes nearly popping out of his skull. Only gasps and wet gurgling came out. Jaune yanked the blade out quickly, letting the man fall to the floor, where he twitched for a little bit, then stopped.

Jaune closed his eyes. Deep breaths. Keep them coming. Calm down. It's all over. You can go home now, and forget this all happened. But he knew deep down there was no forgetting today. There was only coping now. He wiped the blood off of his family heirloom, streaks still remaining, then sheathed it. The only thing left now was to leave, and drag this secret to the grave with him. The doors creaked much louder than usual when he opened it. With one last look at the dead body, he ran off, hoping to not get anymore blood on his hands.

* * *

Ten days. Michael paced the room, letting that thought run freely. Ten days, that poor kids been missing. He bit his lip. What was he thinking? The old man wouldn't pass up the opportunity to work the poor boy like a new machine, especially when its been trained and tailored to perfection. Why on Remnant didn't he trust his instincts? This was a mistake. A giant mistake. If that kid wasn't dead, he'd probably wish he was the moment he stepped back into the bar. Why was that old man so callous?

None of the screaming, cursing, or reprimanding Michael gave did anything more than agitate the old man. Every word went in one year and out the other. The job was done. That was all he wanted to hear. Damn him. Whatever the case, two days ago, Gregory Hamilton was confirmed to be dead through a fatal stab to the heart by an arming sword. That information was buried deep in encryption. No one outside the building knew a thing, and that was how it was going to stay. The kid had gone through enough. The last thing he wanted was for him to be hunted down for murder.

To make matters worse, his friends were downstairs, living it up with the other kinder mercs. What were their names? Rose? No, that was her last name. Yang was the second. Everyone else had already left for the night. Rose looked in fine spirits, but Yang looked different. Tense and wary, but successful at hiding it from the unassuming eye. She knew he'll question her later. Luckily, he managed to get them out for the night, but he knew they'd be back.

Thoughts had been haunting over the last few days. Remembering dead faces. Could he really do this? Train a young warrior to survive in a world so cold? Of course he wanted to. The boy deserved that much. But this world wasn't right for him. No matter what he did, he didn't deserve to be here. How cruel chance can be sometimes. With these thoughts in mind, he gave Ozpin one last call.

"Ah, Michael. How's your evening?" Ozpin pleasantly asked on the line.

"Fine. I just wanted to let you know." He took a deep breath. "I quit."

"Pardon?"

"I quit." He sighed into his hand. "Look, I know my original job was just to watch him, but you know how this world of mine works. That just is not possible without getting him involved somehow. The training's gone better than I could've imagined, but that's not the case. He's just…" He trailed off.

"Too innocent? Childish maybe?" Michael didn't answer. "Michael, do you know the three reasons why I hired you in the first place?"

"I'm… devilishly handsome? Charismatic? Greatest warrior alive?" He attempted to joke.

"You're power plays a large part in this, yes. You might be one of the most dangerous men alive today. At least with you, I can guarantee his safety, but that's not the only reason." Ozpin stated. "Another is the fact that you care. You may act like you don't, but how many times have you gone so far out of your way to keep him safe?" Michael bit his lip, unable to answer. "The final reason is for you."

Michael raised a brow. "What?"

"Michael, you've seen the world. You've seen how ugly it can be, as well as beautiful. How many years have you fought on without a cause, looking for a reason to care? How many years have you forsaken humanity?" He asked.

Michael clenched his teeth. "What, am I supposed to answer that, old man? You already know me. What do you want from me?"

"I want you to learn." Ozpin said simply. "I handed you a lost cause. A boy nearly just like you. I hoped you both would work off each other and become something better. As partners."

"So what, two idiots make a genius?" Michael scoffed. "And I thought you were the professor here."

"You'll mature out of that attitude. At least I hope." Ozpin said offhandedly. "In any case, I urge you to keep going. You're both too far in to stop now."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Michael muttered before hanging up. He leaned his head back against the wall he was leaning against, staring at the ceiling.

That was when he felt it. An unusually powerful well of aura possibly several dozen meters away. It approached very slowly, almost dragging its feet. It took nearly ten minutes of shuffling and constant stopping before whoever he was tracking pushed through the door. There was a shrill scream downstairs. Michael gulped, and teleported down onto a barstool downstairs. Even his mouth fell open in shock at what he saw.

There was Jaune, standing at the door as if he hadn't been MIA for ten days. His entrance made the entire usually lively bar go silent except for the water dripping off of his drenched clothing. The boy was soaked to the bone. Rips, mud, dirt, and other random things covered his hoodie and jeans, bits of grass sticking out every which way. Dried blood stained his face and hands. What spooked him the most were his eyes. Those pure azure eyes looked completely numb, almost half asleep. He was soaked to the bone, but he wasn't shivering. He just looked so barren.

Nobody moved to help him. The shock probably hadn't finished setting in. Michael sucked in a breath, and ran to his student, draping his jacket over his shoulders.

"C'mon." He hissed. "Upstairs, now. We're causing a scene." He didn't move. Just stared at the ground, counting the water droplets dripping from his hair. Michael bit his lip, trying a more gentle tone. "It's okay kid. You're here and alive. Just come with me, so we can get you fixed up."

Jaune looked up ever so slightly, dark shadows around them. He nodded briefly, letting Michael guide him up the stairs. He got him into his room and sat him down in a swivel chair, where he sat with his head hung low. Carefully, he examined him. No broken bones or lacerations. A few bruises, but that was it. The knight hadn't gotten sleep in a while, he could presume.

"Oh Gods, what happened to you." Michael said quietly, concerned. Jaune muttered something under his breath. Michael leaned over. "Could you repeat that?"

"Job… done." Jaune rasped, mouth creeping into one of the most fractured smiles Michael had ever seen. He felt his heart sink. The poor boy… "Everyone's safe now, right?"

Michael pursed his lips. He should never know about who he really killed. "Yeah. There should just be some lingering Sidewinders. Nothing to worry about. How did you even get back?"

"The barge." Jaune answered tiredly. "One of the boats. I managed… managed to-" He went into a coughing fit, hacking up salt-water. After clearing his throat, he continued. "I snagged onto one of them, and hung on till we reached Vale."

Michael's eyes widened. "The rusty barge with the unaffiliated symbols? That was nearly a two day trip! You held onto that thing for two days?" He was in awe at the boys determination to survive. The will to live was more powerful than he thought. "Well, get cleaned up, then get some sleep. You're taking a break for a few days."

Jaune nodded and trudged to the bathroom. Michael stared at it for a while before getting up. That stupid boy. That stupid, poor boy. What did he do to deserve any of that? What did either of them do? He sighed, taking a quick puff of his e-cig. No, forget about quitting. That kid needed him. He refused to leave him behind now. He will make him strong, and take him out of this life. Before leaving, he took a look at the bathroom door with a grimace.

That door didn't open for the rest of the night.

* * *

 _ **Alright, down to business... first, I want to apologize. First, laptop crashed, then got a new one for Christmas. I come back to find my entire PM page up in flames. Apparently, a lot of Whiterose and Bumblebee lovers have been Private messaging me speech long stuff to show how deluded I am, insulting me and basically saying my ships are shit. To those doing that, please stop. I respect your ships, you respect mine. That's all I ask. And then, after the latest episode, I got hit again with another truck load of hate mail. It got out of hand and I just lost motivation for a little bit. I'm fine now, I just needed some time.**_

 _ **Anyhow, some good news. Every monthly update will come with an additional one-shot, just little ideas that I have in the mix that I don't want to make into a full story. In addition, I will be making two valentines day one-shots for Lancaster and Blacksun. Review what you think, and anything you want to say. They really help me out. Thanks and goodnight.**_


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